The leaders of Quad countries (Australia, India, Japan, USA) have decided to launch a mega vaccine initiative under which coronavirus vaccines will be produced in India for the Indo-Pacific region with financial assistance from the United States and Japan while Australia will contribute in logistical aspects.
As per a joint statement, the vaccination capacity of India will be increased to produce 1 billion doses by 2022,
Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said it was decided that India's manufacturing capacity is something that is going to be leveraged to make US vaccines.
"In today's context, it is one of the most important initiatives. We are talking about huge investments in creating additional vaccine capacities in India for exports to countries in the Indo-Pacific region for their betterment.
This will undoubtedly boost India’s vaccine diplomacy efforts. India has been providing vaccines to developing countries around the world.
So far 71 countries have received vaccines manufactured in India.
A majority of these are developing countries which did not have adequate access to the vaccine. India’s vaccine diplomacy has won attention for its efforts to make vaccine availability more equitable.
On the other end, there has been criticism that India is working outside the WHO’s COVAX initiative in supplying vaccines. This hypocritical talk has been rejected by India’s External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar who has asked “Which one of these countries have said that while I vaccinate my own people, I will inoculate other people who need it as much as we do?”
There is a lot the world should learn from India's initiatives against the pandemic and its holistic and altruistic approach against it. Even though many will claim it is doing good so as to enhance its presence in the region, those same people must learn that as per Indian culture, its good to do good and not be concerned about the fruits that the good work may bear. The benefits are not the effect but a side effect.
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