The world depends on vaccines from India

The world depends on India? That is certainly not an exaggeration to say when it comes to vaccines. Indian pharmaceutical companies cover more than fifty percent of the world's need for various vaccines. Manufacturers like the Serum Institute of India (SII) are supplying developing countries with affordable corona vaccines.

But now, with India itself hard hit by the epidemic, authorities have imposed export restrictions. "We are currently focusing on the production of Kovishield for our own country, it is urgent," the company told DW.

Covishield is the brand name for AstraZeneca's vaccine in India. It was this vaccine that was delivered to Montenegro, as well as to many other countries.

"Of course, it is possible that the production of other vaccines is on hold now, but we will quickly get back to it," SII added.

The pharmaceutical giant makes vaccines against diphtheria, tetanus, hepatitis B, measles, whooping cough, mumps and rubella. It delivers about 170 billion vaccines annually to 1,5 countries at affordable prices. It is estimated that about two-thirds of the world's children receive at least one vaccine made by SII.

Another large producer is Barat Bajotek, which makes a domestic vaccine against the corona called Kovacsin. That company has 145 patents and makes vaccines against hepatitis B or rotavirus.

India's seven major manufacturers can make a total of 8,2 billion different vaccines annually.

A lot, but cheap

Experts say Indian authorities have missed an opportunity to commit some of that capacity early to produce additional corona vaccines. "We will be doomed to repeat the same mistakes unless we learn from this crisis," says Jacob John, a virologist who previously worked at the Christian Medical College in Tamil Nadu.

"We have to work on a joint public-private platform and forget about financial competition during times like this. At stake is India's reputation as the kingdom of vaccines," adds John to DW.

Several large public organizations capable of making vaccines have recently been unlicensed in India. Four state-owned pharmaceutical companies have been licensed to produce covid-vaccines since last month. The director of one of them told journalists that it will take them a year to even start production.

Without medicines and vaccines from India, many parts of the world would not be able to afford expensive Western products.

"Given the pressure from EU leaders to produce vaccines in their countries, the market could become more saturated in the future," Gautam Menon, professor of biology at Ashoka University, tells us. "India's ability to produce vaccines cheaply will help here."