American civil rights activist Rev Jesse Jackson has requested US President Joe Biden to send 60 million (6 crore) vaccine doses to India, which is battling a debilitating coronavirus pandemic.
Jackson has urged the president to send the AstraZeneca vaccine to India as it has not been approved for use by the US administration. Jackson said at a media conference: "They are human beings. As the wind blows, if we don't stop it today, it'll spread around the world”.
Biden too had hinted that the US might give the AstraZeneca vaccines to other countries.
Joining prominent Indian physicians including Mr. Amit Kumar, Consul Gen of India, 11 a.m., Wed, May 5th, in calling for specific medical equipment&drugs needed to flatten the rising curb of the #COVID19 that has infected 20,638,281 Indians&caused 225,831 deaths as of today. pic.twitter.com/A4vVzd3wvN
— Rev Jesse Jackson Sr (@RevJJackson) May 5, 2021
The Indian diaspora had reached out to the highly respected American rights leader. Dr Vijay Prabhakar, chairman, American Association of Multi Ethnic Physicians, Inc. said: "It is everyone's duty to help India flatten this COVID-19 surge as we live in a world that cannot be separated by borders".
Jackson also promised to speak to Biden to immediately release 6 crore doses of AstraZeneca vaccines for India, adding that mass vaccination will be the only cure for the public health crisis engulfing India.
Besides following up the US president, Jackson added that he will personally speak to the healthcare industry to donate oxygen concentrators and cylinders to India and follow up with the pharma companies to supply therapeutic supplies to the country.
The Indian medical fraternity across the world is mobilising people in their communities to bail out India from the grip of the covid second wave. Doctors in the US too have launched a campaign to provide support to India fearing that the infection is likely to spread. Reaching out to Jackson – one of the most prominent personalities is part of that endeavour.
Jackson has founded the Rainbow PUSH Coalition (RPC) – an international human and civil rights organization that seeks to empower people through effective use of grassroots advocacy, issue orientation, and connections between the greater community and the disenfranchised.
RPC also supports research on key policy issues, collects data on non-partisan related initiatives, and organizes seminars and public awareness campaigns on a variety of policy concerns. RPC advances the democratic principles of civic virtue and human rights in order to improve life opportunities for those who have been marginalized and disaffected.
