India supplying vaccine doses to several nations: MEA

NEW DELHI:  The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday said it was yet to receive any request for the supply of made-in-India coronavirus vaccines from Pakistan, even as the government has sent consignments of doses under grant assistance to Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Mauritius and Seychelles.

At a media briefing, MEA spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said India is also undertaking commercial supplies of the vaccines to a number of countries, including Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Brazil and Morocco.“I am not aware of any request for the supply of Indian made vaccines to Pakistan on a government-to-government (G2G) basis or commercial basis. As we announced on Tuesday, our grant assistance of vaccines to the neighbouring countries commenced Wednesday.

On the first day, 1.5 lakh doses of vaccines were supplied to Bhutan and 1 lakh doses to the Maldives as grant assistance. On Thursday, supplies of 10 lakh doses to Nepal and 20 lakh doses to Bangladesh were undertaken. Consignments of 15 lakh doses for Myanmar, 1 lakh doses to Mauritius and 50,000 doses to Seychelles are being airlifted,” he said. 

He said vaccine supply as grant assistance to Sri Lanka and Afghanistan will be undertaken after receiving confirmation of regulatory clearances from these two countries.  “Contractual supplies are also being undertaken to Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Brazil, Morocco, Bangladesh and Myanmar,” he said.On being asked about quantities and types of vaccines, the MEA spokesperson said India-made vaccines supplies are underway both as gifts as well as on commercial basis. “The supplies abroad on G2G, G2B and B2B basis would be based on availability and regulatory approvals in the countries concerned,” he said.