印度放弃“印度制造”？向外国疫苗敞开大门
印度卫生部周二表示，将放弃完全依赖“印度制造”的新冠肺炎疫苗战略，接受外国疫苗，以抵御疫情爆发一来最严重的一波感染。
印度卫生部称，经世界卫生组织及美国、欧洲、英国、日本监管机构批准的新冠肺炎疫苗自此打开了在印度紧急销售的大门。
印度卫生部在一份声明中表示:“这一决定将有助于印度提升获得外国疫苗的速度。”声明还称，新政策将有助于印度增加“大宗药物原材料”进口，提高疫苗灌装产能，从而提升该国新冠肺炎疫苗的整体生产水平。
就在这一决定出台之时，印度正在抵御自疫情爆发以来最严重的一波感染。上周，印度单日新增确诊病例超过10万例，系疫情以来首次。确诊病例数还在继续上升。周一，印度新增16.8万例确诊病例，创下最高日增记录。
印度已经在孟买等疫情严重地区实行了封城措施，试图管控新一波蔓延。印度政府还尝试使用两种“印度制造”的疫苗来助推其刚刚起步的疫苗接种计划。其中一种疫苗为英国公司阿斯利康(AstraZeneca)开发，但由印度血清研究所（Serum Institute of India）在当地生产销售。另一种由印度制药公司巴拉特生物技术公司（Bharat Biotech）研发，已在印度市场批准使用。
然而，这两种疫苗无法满足印度14亿人口的需求。
截至周一，该国三分之一的邦都报告疫苗严重短缺，疫苗注射点不得不回绝那些想登记接种的人群。
印度的疫苗接种速度也落后于其他主要经济体。
截至目前，印度共接种1.08亿针疫苗，相当于仅有6.9%的印度人注射过至少一针疫苗。相比之下，人口总量为3.28亿的美国已为其公众接种了1.9亿针疫苗，意味着36.4%的人口至少已经注射了一针。
向外国疫苗敞开大门或将有助于缓解印度的疫苗供应困境，至少有一家疫苗制造商似乎已经准备好向印度供货。
卫星5号（Sputnik V）疫苗背后的俄罗斯直接投资基金(Russian Direct Investment Fund)周一表示，或可在4月底开始向印度出口疫苗。
同样在周一，印度批准了俄罗斯的卫星5号疫苗用于紧急接种。印度政府在声明中表示，将考虑再批准100种外国疫苗，进一步增加供应量。
印度卫生部表示，疫苗制造商需要在印度领土上进行7天安全试验，才可以面向公众接种。（财富中文网）
译者：Agatha
印度卫生部周二表示，将放弃完全依赖“印度制造”的新冠肺炎疫苗战略，接受外国疫苗，以抵御疫情爆发一来最严重的一波感染。
印度卫生部称，经世界卫生组织及美国、欧洲、英国、日本监管机构批准的新冠肺炎疫苗自此打开了在印度紧急销售的大门。
印度卫生部在一份声明中表示:“这一决定将有助于印度提升获得外国疫苗的速度。”声明还称，新政策将有助于印度增加“大宗药物原材料”进口，提高疫苗灌装产能，从而提升该国新冠肺炎疫苗的整体生产水平。
就在这一决定出台之时，印度正在抵御自疫情爆发以来最严重的一波感染。上周，印度单日新增确诊病例超过10万例，系疫情以来首次。确诊病例数还在继续上升。周一，印度新增16.8万例确诊病例，创下最高日增记录。
印度已经在孟买等疫情严重地区实行了封城措施，试图管控新一波蔓延。印度政府还尝试使用两种“印度制造”的疫苗来助推其刚刚起步的疫苗接种计划。其中一种疫苗为英国公司阿斯利康(AstraZeneca)开发，但由印度血清研究所（Serum Institute of India）在当地生产销售。另一种由印度制药公司巴拉特生物技术公司（Bharat Biotech）研发，已在印度市场批准使用。
然而，这两种疫苗无法满足印度14亿人口的需求。
截至周一，该国三分之一的邦都报告疫苗严重短缺，疫苗注射点不得不回绝那些想登记接种的人群。
印度的疫苗接种速度也落后于其他主要经济体。
截至目前，印度共接种1.08亿针疫苗，相当于仅有6.9%的印度人注射过至少一针疫苗。相比之下，人口总量为3.28亿的美国已为其公众接种了1.9亿针疫苗，意味着36.4%的人口至少已经注射了一针。
向外国疫苗敞开大门或将有助于缓解印度的疫苗供应困境，至少有一家疫苗制造商似乎已经准备好向印度供货。
卫星5号（Sputnik V）疫苗背后的俄罗斯直接投资基金(Russian Direct Investment Fund)周一表示，或可在4月底开始向印度出口疫苗。
同样在周一，印度批准了俄罗斯的卫星5号疫苗用于紧急接种。印度政府在声明中表示，将考虑再批准100种外国疫苗，进一步增加供应量。
印度卫生部表示，疫苗制造商需要在印度领土上进行7天安全试验，才可以面向公众接种。（财富中文网）
译者：Agatha
India’s Ministry of Health said on Tuesday that it is departing from its “Made in India” COVID-19 vaccine strategy and will accept foreign-made vaccines as the country battles an unprecedented wave of infections.
The announcement opens the door for COVID-19 vaccines—approved by the World Health Organization or regulators in the U.S., Europe, the U.K., or Japan—to be sold in India on an emergency basis, the Ministry of Health said.
“This decision will facilitate quicker access to such foreign vaccines by India,” the Ministry of Health said in a statement. The new policy will also boost India’s COVID-19 vaccine manufacturing capabilities by increasing the country’s “fill and finish” vaccine capacity and opening the door to more imports of “bulk drug material,” the statement said.
The decision comes as India is battling its largest wave of infections since the beginning of the pandemic. Last week, India recorded over 100,000 cases in a single day for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic. Cases have continued to rise. On Monday, India confirmed 168,000 infections, a daily record.
India has instituted lockdowns in hard-hit areas such as Mumbai to help limit the new wave. It also has attempted to boost its fledgling vaccine campaign using two “Made in India” vaccines. One vaccine was originally developed by British firm AstraZeneca, but is manufactured and sold locally via the Serum Institute of India. Indian pharmaceutical firm, Bharat Biotech developed the other COVID-19 vaccine approved in the Indian market.
The two vaccines, however, are failing to meet the demands of India’s 1.4 billion citizens.
As of Monday, one-third of the country’s states were reporting severe vaccine shortages, and vaccine clinics have been forced to turn away people who had signed up for shots.
India has also fallen behind other major economies in delivering the shots.
In total, India has administered 108 million vaccine shots, which amounts to roughly 6.9% of the population receiving at least one jab. The U.S., by contrast, has administered 190 million shots to its 328 million citizens, enough for 36.4% of the population to be injected with at least one shot.
Opening the door to foreign-made vaccines may help alleviate some of India’s vaccine supply woes and at least one vaccine maker appears ready to supply India.
The Russian Direct Investment Fund, which backs the Sputnik V vaccine, said on Monday that it may begin exporting doses to India by late April.
Also on Monday, India approved Russia’s state-backed Sputnik V vaccine for emergency distribution. In the announcement, India’s government said it would now consider adding up to 100 other foreign-made vaccines to further bolster supply.
Vaccine makers will be asked to conduct a seven-day safety trial on Indian soil before any rollout to the public, according to the Ministry of Health.
