In this December 23, 2020, file photo released by China's Xinhua News Agency, a Sinovac worker checks the labelling on vials of COVID-19 vaccines on a packaging line in Beijing. With just four of China’s many vaccine makers claiming they are able to produce at least 2.6 billion doses this year, a large part of the world’s population will end up inoculated not with western vaccines boasting headline-grabbing efficacy rates, but with China’s traditionally made shots. (Photo via AP)

India’s decision to ban Covid-19 vaccine exports has had a severe impact on 91 countries that are dependent on Covishield vaccine and the upcoming Novavax, World Health Organisation chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan said.

India may soon begin testing the feasibility of a regimen that mixes two different Covid-19 vaccines to see if it helps boost immune response to the virus, NK Arora, chairperson of Working Group of the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation said on Monday.

Meanwhile, the Centre told the Supreme Court that it expects everyone eligible for Covid-19 vaccination to get inoculated by the end of 2021.

With 1,52,734 new Covid-19 infections recorded in 24 hours, India’s case count reached 2,80,47,534 on Monday morning. As many as 3,128 fatalities pushed the toll to 3,29,100. There are 20,26,092 active Covid-19 cases and as many as 2,56,92,342 have recovered.

Globally, the coronavirus has now infected over 17.01 crore people and killed over 35.38 lakh since the pandemic broke out in December 2019, according to Johns Hopkins University.