India’s vaccine export not at cost of domestic need: Vardhan

NEW DELHI: India’s export of Covid-19 vaccines to other countries is not at the cost of domestic need, the government told Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.

Responding during Question Hour, Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said, "Vaccines aren't being sent to other countries at the expense of Indian citizens. A healthy balance is being maintained.”

The government’s contention came in wake of criticism by the opposition that the first priority should be to ensure India’s entire population gets the jab. The MPs also sought acceleration of the vaccination process in the country.

The minister said 5.94 crore doses of vaccine have been sent to foreign countries till now, while asserting that science “should benefit everyone”. Highlighting the pace of vaccination within the country, he said 30 lakh people had got the vaccine jabs on Monday itself.

Asked by when the country’s entire population would be vaccinated, the minister said, “The criteria have been fixed according to the World Health Organisation (WHO) and other international standards, and it is a dynamic process. Anyone who wants to get vaccinated can register on the portal and get inoculated.”

To a question on whether people over 60 who cannot go to hospitals can be vaccinated at home, he said, “This issue has been flagged to us. In hospitals, people are kept under observation for 30 minutes after getting vaccinated…there are medical facilities available there. But this matter will be raised before the expert committee. If it does not compromise their health, it can be considered.”

Vardhan said the national expert group is keeping abreast of all developments within and outside the country on the efficacy of the vaccines.

Asked specifically about the efficacy of the vaccines against the UK, South Africa and Brazil variants of Covid-19, he replied, “This information is already in the public domain. We have access to genome sequencing data. Right now, experts are clear that a particular vaccine is effective against mutated virus.”