US agrees to rush vaccine raw materials to India as Covid wave surges

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<strong>The United States has decided to "immediately" make available raw materials required to scale up production of coronavirus vaccine Covishield being produced at the Pune-based Serum Institute as India battles the devastating second Covid-19 wave.</strong></p>
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US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan assured his Indian counterpart, Ajit Doval that the export of vaccine raw materials to India would be allowed, and the US has also "identified supplies of therapeutics, rapid diagnostic test kits, ventilators and PPE suits that will also be made immediately available to India".</p>
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President Joe Biden tweeted that US is "determined" to help India in its "time of need".</p>
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The US is also "pursuing options to provide oxygen and related supplies on an urgent basis" to help India overcome a shortage that has endangered the lives of thousands of both Covid-positive patients and those fighting other diseases.</p>
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"Just as India sent assistance to the United States as our hospitals were strained early in the pandemic, the United States is determined to help India in its time of need," the US said.</p>
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Jake Sullivan said in a tweet : “The US is deeply concerned by the severe COVID outbreak in India. We are working around the clock to deploy more supplies and support to the friends and strategic partners in India as they bravely battle the pandemic.”</p>
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India's long pending request has finally been heard after massive outrage over America dragging its feet on providing critical vaccine inputs to India which had slowed the production of the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine branded as Covishield in India. The US had imposed a ban on the exports of vaccine raw materials under its “America First” policy as US companies like Pfizer had exerted pressure for the move.</p>
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Washington had invoked the Defense Production Act to preserve vaccine raw materials for its own companies.</p>
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Pune-based SII produces the bulk of the vaccines in India, at around 65 to 70 million doses a month, and production has been hit as the US has imposed a ban on the raw materials.</p>
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The lifting of the export ban on vaccine raw materials for AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine also comes at a time when India is set to accelerate its inoculation drive from May 1 to cover all adults in the country.</p>
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