Amid ongoing discussions regarding the US ban on the export of Covid-19 vaccine raw materials to India, a White House spokesperson Jen Psaki put out a statement assuring that the US will assist India in all its capacity to tide over the pandemic.
Extending their condolences, the official said that the US has made vaccine cooperation, discussions regarding its creation and distribution in the future a big priority including with their Quad partners, one of which is India itself.
‘And from the earliest stages of the pandemic, we’ve provided India with emergency relief supplies, medical consumables, pandemic training for Indian state and local health officials, and ventilators, which has been part of our effort over the course of time, including $1.4 billion in health assistance to India, to help them prepare for pandemics in the future and deal with the current one we’re facing,’ the spokesperson further noted.
The Biden administration has come under intense pressure from various quarters, including the powerful US Chambers of Commerce, lawmakers, and eminent Indian-Americans, to ship AstraZeneca and other Covid-19 vaccines along with several life-saving medical supplies to India, which is witnessing a deadly surge in coronavirus cases.
Myron Brilliante, executive vice president and head of international affairs at the US Chamber of Commerce, was of the opinion that these vaccine doses will not be needed in the United States, where it’s estimated that vaccine manufacturers will be able to produce enough doses by early June to inoculate every American.
‘This move would affirm US leadership, including in initiatives such as COVAX, and as we work with partners around the globe because no one is safe from the pandemic until we are all safe from it,’ Brilliante said
On 5 February 2021, the Joe Biden administration had enacted the Defence Production Act that leaves US companies with no option but to give priority to the production of COVID-19 vaccines and Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) for domestic production to combat the deadly pandemic in America, the worst-hit nation.
The US’ decision to prioritize domestic demand is the reason certain raw materials which are manufactured or whose parent companies are based in the US were made unavailable for India.
Following’s US embargo on exports, India’s case was taken up by India’s Ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, and Adar Poonawalla, Chief Executive Officer of Serum Institute of India who was seen making ardent appeals to the US to keep the raw materials flowing for vaccines to be made in India.
Defending US’ restrictions on the export of key raw materials, a senior State Department official said the Biden administration’s first obligation is to take care of the requirements of the American people.
When asked when the Biden administration would decide on India’s request to lift a ban on the export of vaccine raw materials, State Department spokesperson Ned Price said: ”…the United States first and foremost is engaged in an ambitious and effective and, so far, successful effort to vaccinate the American people. ” ”That campaign is well underway, and we’re doing that for a couple of reasons. Number one, we have a special responsibility to the American people. Number two, the American people, this country has been hit harder than any other country around the world more than 550,000 deaths, tens of millions of infections in this country alone,” he said on Thursday.
Meanwhile, Coronavirus cases are on a rise in India, The country on Friday added a record over 3.32 lakh new coronavirus cases in a single day taking the country’s tally to 1,62,63,695, while active cases crossed the 24-lakh mark.
Read all the Latest News, Breaking News and Coronavirus News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Telegram.
Comments
0 comment