Raipur: India’s first indigenous vaccine manufactured by Bharat Biotech Covaxin is reportedly not finding any international buyers even when offered to supply free of cost in this time of crisis.

As per official sources, India has offered to give 8.1 lakh doses of Covaxin as an aid to seven countries struggling with the coronavirus crisis. However, only Myanmar has purchased about 2 lakh doses so far.

Vaccines were to be sent to Myanmar, Mongolia, Oman, Bahrain, Philippines, Maldives, and Mauritius as a gesture of goodwill from India in the fight against Covid-19. The said decision was taken after a ahigh-level meeting between Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan, Foreign Minister S Jaishankar and MoS Pharmaceuticals Mansukh Mandavia on January 18. Earlier, on January 15, the vaccine manufacturer was informed by a memorandum that 8.1 lakh doses of Covaxin would be purchased by the Ministry of External Affairs. According to the Foreign Ministry, this purchase was to begin after January 22.

Union Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Anurag Shrivastava said on Friday that 64.7 lakh doses of corona vaccines have been supplied as grants to other countries. While 165 lakh doses have been supplied on a commercial basis. Out of 64.7 lakh doses, only 2 lakh doses are of Covaxin. The rest of the dose is Covishield of the Serum Institute, developed by Oxford University.