SAWT BEIRUT INTERNATIONAL

| 6 December 2024, Friday |

U.S. says to make COVID-19 vaccines available to India

Washington told India on Thursday about its plans to make coronavirus vaccines available to other countries, including the South Asian nation, the office of Prime Minister Narendra Modi said.

The U.S. move comes after the White House laid out a plan to share 25 million surplus vaccine jabs with the world and said it would lift some curbs to allow other countries to purchase U.S.-made supplies for vaccine production more easily.

In a phone call on Thursday, Modi and U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris tackled efforts to enhance the bilateral health supply chain, including in vaccine production, the Indian PM’s office said in a statement.

“They highlighted the potential of the India-U.S. partnership as well as the Quad vaccine initiative in addressing the long-term health impact of the pandemic.”

The Quad, an informal strategic dialogue among the United States, Australia, India and Japan, seeks to reduce manufacturing backlogs, speed up inoculation, and defeat some COVID-19 mutations, a top U.S administration official told Reuters previously.

Separately, a spokesman for India’s foreign ministry announced that New Delhi was in dialogue with Washington to ensure the supply of raw materials for COVID-19 vaccine production.

    Source:
  • Reuters