Amit Shah: India set to fulfill world’s 70% Covid-19 vaccine needs

Last updated on February 16th, 2021 at 07:05 am

Union Home Minister Amit Shah said while speaking at the inauguration of a private college that India is all set to provide vaccines to the world and fulfill the world’s 70% of the vaccine needs. India is currently exporting two Covid-19 vaccines to 14 countries. 

He said, “India is set to fulfil 70 per cent of the world’s coronavirus vaccine needs. Two vaccines are being exported to 14 countries.” Mr. Shah added, “World’s largest vaccination programme was launched in India. Two vaccines have been rolled out and four more are in the pipeline.”

Shah said that the world is following India’s line of treatment with over 170 countries in line with the modus operandi. He noted that the Indian government under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has worked to upgrade India’s health infrastructure in the last 6.5 years. Additionally, health infrastructure in India has “improved at a rocket speed” during the Covid-19 pandemic. 

In line with India’s vaccine diplomacy, today Afghanistan received its first vaccine shipment of 500,000 AstraZeneca vaccine doses produced by India’s Serum Institute of India. The doses reached Afghanistan from Mumbai early Monday morning. Afghan foreign minister Mohammed Haneef Atmar expressed his gratitude to the Indian government for vaccines that would help the nation in its fight against Covid-19. He said, “A clear sign of generosity, commitment, and strong partnership indeed.”

With this India has supplied vaccines to 15 nations with 25 other in queue, said External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar. MEA (Ministry of External Affairs) also announced that India is in plans to give 1 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines to United Nations as part of its COVAX initiative. 

Over 55 lakh doses of vaccines have been gifted by India to its neighbours including Sri Lanka, Nepal, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Mauritius, Maldives and Seychelles.