As part of diplomatic outreach, India to give COVID-19 vaccine to other countries in few weeks

New Delhi, Jan 18: Days after kick-starting pan-India coronavirus vaccination drive, the Central government plans to ship off doses of COVID-19 vaccine to neighbouring nations as part of vaccine diplomacy in a couple of weeks.

Nepal, Maldives, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Bhutan and Mauritius are likely to first benefit from India's vaccine shipment and begin vaccination programme in their own countries.

While the initial shipments would be a goodwill gesture, the concerned countries subsequently would get the vaccine on a payment basis from either Bharat Biotech or the Serum Institute of India.

It can be seen that Bangladesh and Myanmar have already declared that it has signed up with Serum Institute for vaccines. India has also promised the Sri Lankan leadership to make the vaccines available to them. The countries would not be burdened with huge charges as will be able to procure the vaccine at a similar price as Indians.

However, the foreign countries need export clearance from the Indian's Government's National Group on Vaccine Administration for COVID-19 (NEGVAC) headed by Dr VK Paul of Niti Aayog.

Brazil has ordered vaccines from Bharat Biotech after Brazilian regulating agency, ANVISA said the Chinese vaccine Sinovac had only a 50 per cent efficacy rate.