India has banned major exports of AstraZeneca's coronavirus vaccine to meet its country's demand for the shot, sources claim.
The world's second largest nation temporarily halted exports of jabs made by the Serum Institute of India (SII) after infections in the country spiked.
It could be a blow for the UK's vaccination plan which involves millions of doses manufactured in India.
There have been no vaccine exports from India since Thursday, the country's foreign ministry's website shows, as the country expands its own immunisation effort.
Sources told Reuters that there will be no vaccine exports from India until the country's Covid crisis stabilises.
“Everything else has taken a backseat, for the time being at least,” said one of the sources.
Both sources had direct knowledge of the matter, but declined to be named as the discussions are not public.
One said: “No exports, nothing till the time the India situation stabilises. The government won’t take such a big chance at the moment when so many need to be vaccinated in India.”
It comes after a shipment of five million AstraZeneca doses from India to the UK was delayed for four weeks, the BBC reported.
According to the BBC, a spokesman for the Serum Institute previously said: "Five million doses had been delivered a few weeks ago to the UK and we will try to supply more later, based on the current situation and the requirement for the government immunisation programme in India."
Meanwhile, the NHS warned of a 'significant' drop in jab supplies in England next month, potentially disrupting the country's vaccination programme.
