India might need $1.8 billion on COVID-19 vaccine in first phase: Report

India
will need to spend $1.4 billion to $1.8 billion in the first phase of a
coronavirus vaccination programme despite getting support under the COVAX global vaccine-sharing
scheme, Reuters reported based on estimates by GAVI vaccines alliance.

India
plans to vaccinate 300 million people in the next six to eight months, with
vaccines from AstraZeneca, Russia’s Suptnik, Zydus Cadila, and the indigenous
Bharat Biotech.

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According
to estimates by Reuters, India faces a funding issue in the face of immunisation
for its vast population, with 600 million shots being required in the first
phase alone for frontline workers and people most at risk from COVID-19.

The
report states the best-case-scenario to be the country getting 190-250 million
vaccine doses under the COVAX facility, leaving the government with a $1.4
billion bill to make up for the shortfall, referring to an unpublished report
from GAVI’s three-day board meeting that started on Tuesday.

Whereas,
with India’ healthcare budget in 2020/2021 being just under $10 billion, the
government would need to spend $1.8 billion for additional shots in case of a
lower allocation of 95-125 million doses under the facility.

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The
COVAX facility, co-led by the World Health Organization (WHO) and GAVI, aims to
help middle to lower income countries with COVID-19 tests, drugs and vaccine through
what it known as Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator which was set up in
April, 2020.

Despite
not coming out with any estimates of its cost for the vaccination drive, the Indian
government has said that resources will be provided to protect its entire
population.