Team News Riveting
New Delhi, June 3
United States Vice President Kamala Harris spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi over telephone on Thursday and assured sharing vaccines with India under its global plan.
Harris took the initiative to talk to the Indian President and to underscore the India-US partnership.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi thanked US Vice President Kamala Harris for support, solidarity from the US government, businesses and the Indian diaspora. “I deeply appreciate the assurance of vaccine supplies to India as part of the US Strategy for Global Vaccine Sharing. We also discussed ongoing efforts to further strengthen India-US vaccine cooperation,” he said.
A US readout said, “Vice President notified… Biden-Harris Administration will begin sharing the first 25 million doses of COVID vaccines”. Washington will be giving out 80 million vaccines globally by the end of June.
The US administration announced that it will donate 25 million COVID-19 doses abroad, with most of them allocated to WHO’s Covax initiative. In a fact sheet, the White House said it will donate just over 6 million with countries experiencing surges, including Canada, Mexico and India,” the sources said.
US President Biden in a statement said, “Over 6 million will be shared directly with countries experiencing surges, those in crisis, and other partners and neighbors, including Canada, Mexico, India, and the Republic of Korea.”
“Over 30 countries will be getting vaccines in the first tranche. These vaccines will also be given to United Nations frontline workers, which will be shared directly,” he said.
The countries in Asia that will get US vaccines via COVAX are India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Maldives, Malaysia, Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, Laos, Papua New Guinea, Taiwan & Pacific Islands.
The leaders discussed ongoing efforts to strengthen the health supply chain between the US and India, including in the area of vaccine manufacturing. They highlighted the potential of the India-US partnership as well as the Quad vaccine initiative in addressing the long-term health impact of the pandemic.
Prime Minister expressed the hope to welcome Vice President Harris in India soon after the normalisation of the global health situation.
