‘Stop vax nationalism’: India gifts 2 lakh shots to UN peacekeepers

NEW DELHI: Announcing a gift of 2 lakh doses of Covid vaccine doses for UN peacekeepers, India told the UN Security Council on Wednesday that 25 countries have already received Indiamade vaccines. Another 49 in Europe, Latin America, Caribbean, Africa, Southeast Asia and Pacific islands will be supplied in the coming days.
Speaking at the UNSC open debate on ensuring equitable access to Covid vaccines in countries affected by conflict and insecurity, foreign minister S Jaishankar laid out nine “solutions” to five “concerns” regarding the global accessibility to vaccines. A big concern, echoed even by UN secretary general Antonio Guterres, is the glaring disparity in the access to vaccines. Many developed countries are cornering vaccine supplies to the detriment of poorer countries. Canada, for instance, is the only G7 country to demand its share of doses from the Covax facility, which resulted in some sharp global criticism.
China’s foreign minister Wang Yi said it had supplied vaccines to 22 countries.
Jaishankar’s solutions included exhorting the world to persist with the vaccination drive as well as collaborate on genomic surveillance to track mutations and variants. Currently, there are three variants of concern — the UK/ Kent variant, South Africa and Brazil/Manaus variants.
Jaishankar said the world should address vaccine hesitancy. “Vaccine- related information must be contextual, empathetic and culturally sensitive while providing scientific and accurate facts,” he said. Countries should work to improve public health infrastructure and capacity.
Calling on countries to stop vaccine nationalism and encourage internationalism, he said, “Hoarding superfluous doses will defeat our efforts…” India joined other countries to strengthen the Covax facility, prevent disinformation campaigns and prepare for the next global pandemic.Jaishankar made a strong case for countries to continue routine immusnisation programs for children, which had taken a back seat during the pandemic.
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