India and USA set to collaborate on vaccine trials

US health officials on Tuesday said that India and U.S are planning to work together on vaccine research and trials for COVID19 and listed a number of other ways the two countries are working together.

U.S Embassy Health and Human Services (HHS) attaché Preetha Rajaraman informed that the scientists of the two countries have been collaborating on development and testing safe, cost-effective vaccines against a range of infectious diseases that could save numerous lives in India, USA and the world.

“In the context of current pandemic, partners under the Vaccine Action Programme (VAP) are planning to collaborate on the development and testing of vaccine candidates and diagnostics for COVID19”, she said.

The VAP is a 33 year old collaboration between the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Department of Biotechnology, India and the US National Institutes of Health along with other partners.