Indian states out of COVID vaccines as daily cases near 400,000

India is world’s biggest producer of vaccines but does not have enough stockpiles to keep up with a deadly second wave.

Several Indian states have run out of COVID-19 vaccines a day before a planned widening of a nationwide inoculation drive, authorities said, as new infections in the crisis-hit country surged to another daily record. India’s vaccination drive for everyone older than 18 years is set to open from Saturday, but many states said they have run out of doses. Worst-hit large states including Maharashtra, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and capital territory Delhi said they had not been assured of adequate supplies and would not be able to start the vaccinations on Saturday.