COVAX in talks for other COVID-19 shots amid AstraZeneca supply problems

LONDON: The COVAX vaccine-sharing plan said on Thursday it is seeking to bolster its supplies of COVID-19 vaccines for poor countries from new manufacturers as it aims to mitigate supply problems of the AstraZeneca shot from India.

The global programme - co-led by the GAVI vaccine alliance and the World Health Organization (WHO) - said that while it was hoping to restart deliveries of doses from India's Serum Institute to COVAX participating countries "as soon as possible", it was also looking for additional potential supplies. COVAX's rollout of vaccines has been disrupted by supply and production hold-ups of the AstraZeneca shot, and aggravated by a temporary hold on exports of the Serum Institute-made version of the vaccine as India battles to contain surging infections.