The Centre has imposed temporary export restrictions on syringes for Covid-19 vaccines to address a possible shortage that industry executives say could have been averted through government planning they had first requested over 18 months ago. India’s Covid-19 vaccination campaign had administered 940 million doses by Saturday morning and needs to deliver at least 948 million more doses to fully vaccinate the country’s estimated 944 million adults with two doses. The export restrictions will stall the supply of 0.5ml and 1ml auto-disposable syringes, 0.5ml, 1ml, 2ml and 3ml disposable syringes, and 1ml, 2ml and 3ml reuse prevention syringes to international agencies and countries dependent on Indian-made devices. The All India Syringes and Needles Manufacturers Association has welcomed Saturday’s clarification, saying this implies that the export of insulin syringes, 0.3ml syringes and 5ml or larger syringes could continue. The 0.3ml auto-disposable syringes may be used to deliver the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine but are not suitable for Covishield or Covaxin, the primary vaccines used in India.

Source: The Telegraph October 09, 2021 19:41 UTC