Indian PM Modi to get Covid-19 vaccine in second phase of inoculation drive: NDTV

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will get a coronavirus shot in the second phase of the country’s inoculation campaign, broadcaster NDTV reported on Thursday citing sources, as many states struggle to meet targets partly due to fears over possible side-effects.

India started exporting Covid-19 vaccines from Wednesday, paving the way for many mid- and lower-income countries to get supplies of the easy-to-store Oxford/AstraZeneca drug, of which it said it plans to ship millions of doses within days.

Serum Institute of India (SII), the world’s largest vaccine producer, told Reuters last week it soon expected emergency use authorisation from the World Health Organization (WHO) for that vaccine, which SII has been licensed to make.

Read: India urges frontline workers not to refuse vaccines as targets missed

The foreign ministry said shipments would start on Wednesday following requests from “neighbouring and key partner countries”. Officials said the first doses would go to Bhutan and Maldives.

Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar and the Seychelles will also get supplies in this week’s first phase, the ministry said.

The Bangladesh foreign ministry said it expected to receive a gift of two million doses on Thursday. The country of 160 million, which has yet to start its vaccination programme, has ordered a further 30 million doses, officials said.