In a major turn of events, the United States has said it will “immediately” make available sources of raw materials required to scale up production of the Covishield coronavirus vaccine.
President Joe Biden’s administration had earlier made it very clear that its priorities are to ensure America first and had denied the crucial raw material to India which is facing a massive second wave infection of Covid-19.
However, this change of heart was due to mounting pressure on the US as other nations such as France, Great Briton, Saudi Arabia, and the European Union had extended help to India. Following this, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan speaking to his Indian counterpart, Ajit Doval, on Sunday (25 April) said his country had “identified supplies of therapeutics, rapid diagnostic test kits, ventilators and PPE suits that will (also) be made immediately available to India”.
Spoke today with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval about the spike in COVID cases in India and we agreed to stay in close touch in the coming days. The United States stands in solidarity with the people of India and we are deploying more supplies and resources: pic.twitter.com/yDM7v2J7OA
— Jake Sullivan (@JakeSullivan46) April 25, 2021
President Joe Biden tweeted that US is “determined” to help India in its “time of need”.
Just as India sent assistance to the United States as our hospitals were strained early in the pandemic, we are determined to help India in its time of need. https://t.co/SzWRj0eP3y
— President Biden (@POTUS) April 25, 2021
The US is also “pursuing options to provide oxygen and related supplies on an urgent basis” to help India overcome a shortage that has endangered the lives of thousands of both Covid-positive patients and those fighting other diseases.
“Just as India sent assistance to the United States as our hospitals were strained early in the pandemic, the United States is determined to help India in its time of need,” the US said.
Richard Haass, President, Council on Foreign Relations, which is an important think-tank in in tweet said, “The US vaccine export ban fails on humanitarian, economic, health, & strategic grounds. The problem in USA is too little demand whereas elsewhere it is too little supply. This counter-productive case of America first-ism needs to go as we help ourselves if we help others”.
The US vaccine export ban fails on humanitarian, economic, health, & strategic grounds. The problem in USA is too little demand whereas elsewhere it is too little supply. This counter-productive case of America first-ism needs to go as we help ourselves if we help others.
— Richard N. Haass (@RichardHaass) April 25, 2021
America which has always prided itself for its humanitarian outreach programs stood exposed as it sat on surplus stockpile of some 30 million doses – of the AstraZeneca-Oxford University drug that the Serum Institute makes in India as Covishield.
It all started when Adar Poonawalla, CEO of the Serum Institute of India in an impassioned tweet asked President Joe Biden to lift an embargo on the export of raw materials to make the vaccine.
However, the fact is that in February the “short-term embargo” on exporting crucial raw material to India to manufacture the vaccine was done at the behest of US pharma giant Pfizer which is eyeing to sell its Covid vaccine in India, the world’s worst-affected country and also the biggest market.
It must also be noted that German Chancellor Angela Merkel had called India has become “too big” of a pharmaceutical producer and that it is now just focused on redirecting its vaccine manufacturing powers to cope with rising infections.
From May 1, India has opened vaccination to everyone over 18 – including 101 crore people in the 18-44 group.
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