India’s Vaccine Stockpile: The Great “Squeeze” in a Pandemic‑Past
India is standing on a huge pile of COVID‑19 shots, but the world’s shortage isn’t the only problem. Logistics, demand gaps, and a few policy hiccups mean the surplus just sits in the fridge instead of shaking out the arm‑saver caps.
What’s Happening?
- Serum Institute of India (SII) – the globe’s largest vaccine factory – is cutting half its output of AstraZeneca (Covishield) until the order book clears.
- All the major shots (AstraZeneca, Novavax, Sputnik) are being produced in mega volumes. Yet many countries only need a fraction of that supply.
- “Everywhere there’s enough supply but getting the jabs into people’s arms will take time,” the SII CEO, Adar Poonawalla, told a virtual industry forum.
- Some nations have barely crossed the 10‑15% vaccination mark. The goal is to push that up to 60‑70%, but the demand is now spread over months.
India’s Capacity vs. Global Need
Vinod Kumar Paul, India’s top health official, reminded everyone that a gigantic 3.6 billion‑person‑gap remains unvaccinated worldwide. “Is there traction for India to step up?” he asked. “Let’s get the delivery boost‑up on the African continent, and beyond.”
African Landscape
- Only about 8% of the continent’s 1.3 billion population (that’s roughly the same size as India!) is fully vaccinated.
- India, in contrast, has slotted 37% of its 939 million adults for two shots by the next month.
Domestic Numbers
- Last month, the country needed roughly 252 million shots, but its top manufacturers can churn out over 345 million a month.
- Covishield’s production has surged to 250 million doses monthly – a record quadruple from April – but India’s government is not ordering any more.
- The Covax platform, a lifeline for low‑income nations, placed a modest 40 million Covishield orders (Nov‑Dec) after India lifted its export ban. Covax can buy up to 550 million doses, but is shifting its reliance away from SII after the abrupt halt in April.
Why It Matters
Seth Berkeley, the CEO of Gavi (Covax’s backer), warned that if India drops as the “pharmacy to the world,” countries will scramble for alternative suppliers. And while vaccine effectiveness against severe COVID is still solid, the real battle is getting those shots into people’s arms as smoothly as possible.
In a nutshell: India has the medicine, but the world needs a delivery plan. Without that, the surplus stays in the kitty and people stay at home…
Take‑away Bottom Line
- India produces more than enough shots.
- Many countries lack the infrastructure to use them quickly.
- Policymakers and logistics partners must sync to turn inventory into immunity.
