Sandeep Dikshit

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 20

Despite several neighbouring countries facing a shortage of vaccines promised by India, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Thursday that priority would be given to domestic needs.

Answering a spate of questions in this regard, MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi referred to a media interaction with the Foreign Secretary late last month where he had expressed confidence that in the next two to three months, there should be a “very, very significant increase” in the production and availability of vaccines.

2,76,110 fresh cases

TOTAL DEATHS 2,87,122
ACTIVE CASES 31,29,878
3,874 deaths in 24 hours
45 lakhtests daily by June-end govt aim
16-20 lakhtests being done daily currently.

The MEA spokesperson was asked about several neighbouring countries needing to urgently administer the second shot of India-made vaccine. He was also asked about China stepping in the breach by shipping millions of vaccines in the neighbourhood.

Bagchi referred to Shringla’s observations that India will have to make sure it has the necessary capacity to cater to its domestic needs before resuming the promised but held-back doses of vaccines to neighbouring countries.

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New Delhi: The relationship between India and China is at a crossroads and its direction depends on whether the neighbouring country adheres to various agreements on maintaining peace and tranquillity along the border, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Thursday referring to the eastern Ladakh standoff. PTI

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Rapid Home testing kits in 4 days

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Aerosol can travel 10 mtrs from infected person

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States showing dip in cases

Maha, R’sthan, UP, Hry, Gujarat, C'garh, Bihar, MP, Delhi & Jharkhand

States witnessing spike

Tamil Nadu, Meghalaya Tripura, Manipur, Nagaland, Sikkim, Mizoram