India's vaccine effort slows as dose gap trumps output jump

FILE PHOTO: A woman receives a dose of AstraZeneca's COVISHIELD vaccine, produced by the Serum Institute of India, during a special coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccination campaign for women at a medical centre in Mumbai, India, September 27, 2021. REUTERS/Francis Mascarenhas

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India's vaccination campaign has slowed despite amassing record stockpiles of vaccine, health ministry data showed on Monday, as authorities maintain a wider-than-usual gap between doses in a strategy that has boosted coverage.

Domestic production of the AstraZeneca vaccine, which accounts for nearly 90% of administered doses, has more than tripled https://www.reuters.com/world/india/india-resumes-vaccine-exports-domestic-stocks-build-up-officials-2021-10-13 since May, when a supply shortage prompted India to double the period between doses to between 12 and 16 weeks.