Vaccine Maitri: India to receive between 190-250 mn fully subsidised Covid vaccines, said Gavi

The global alliance on vaccines, Gavi has said that India would receive between 190 and 250 million fully subsidised doses of Covid-19 vaccine and funds up to $30 million for urgent technical assistance
Vaccine Maitri: India to receive between 190-250 mn fully subsidised Covid vaccines, said Gavi

New Delhi: India, which once made noise throughout the world being a vaccine giver through the 'Vaccine Maitri' initiative is slated to receive between 190-250 mn fully subsidised Covid vaccines. This statement has been given by a global alliance on vaccines, Gavi on Friday. India will also receive funds up to USD 30 million for urgent technical assistance and cold chain equipment. This decision has been taken by the COVAX Board in December, a Gavi spokesperson said.

Gavi, previously called Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation is a public-private global health partnership that is leading the global effort to provide vaccines to low- and middle-income countries.

Gavi commits its full support to help India come through its current crisis. In December 2020, the COVAX Board agreed that India would receive approximately 20 per cent of the total doses available to AMC (Advance Market Commitment)- eligible countries through the COVAX Facility estimated at between 190 and 250 million fully subsidised doses subject to vaccine prices and available funds, a Gavi spokesperson told PTI.

"India is also to receive 20 per cent of the total funding available to AMC- eligible countries for urgent technical assistance and cold chain equipment, or USD 30 million," the spokesperson said.

Responding to a question, Gavi acknowledged that the current crisis in India has impacted its vaccine supply chain given that the country has been a major producer and supplier of vaccines.

ALSO READ: 

Much of COVAX's second-quarter supplies were due to be fulfilled by the Serum Institute of India (SII). As SII focuses production towards domestic needs, this has inevitably led to a shortfall for other parts of the world, the spokesperson said.

As a result, COVAX is aiming to address this in the very short term by securing dose donations from high-income economies that have a surplus, as well as working towards other short-medium term goals such as diversifying its portfolio of suppliers and decreasing bottlenecks that are currently hampering global production increases, the spokesperson noted.

Gavi welcomed the decision by the United States government to use all mechanisms to increase global equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines.

We also recognise the significance of the (Biden) administration's commitment to work towards increasing raw material production which will have an immediate impact on alleviating current global supply constraints, the spokesperson said.

It is important now that in the interests of global equitable access, that the US supports manufacturers to transfer not only IP but also know-how in a bid to urgently boost global production, said the spokesperson.

(PSU Watch– India's Business News centre that places the spotlight on PSUs, Bureaucracy, Defence and Public Policy is now on Telegram & Twitter as well. Join PSU Watch Channel in your Telegram and follow us on Twitter to stay updated)

logo
PSU Watch
psuwatch.com