Quad Covid vaccine goal on track: Top US official

NEW DELHI: US President Joe Biden’s top official on Indo-Pacific policy Kurt Campbell has said the Quad is on track to meet their goal of manufacturing one billion doses of coronavirus vaccine by the end of next year despite the second wave of the pandemic in India.

The vaccine partnership of the grouping, comprising India, Japan, the US and Australia, was announced in March during the first-ever Quad leaders’ virtual meeting. 

“Our discussions with both our partners in the private sector and also, in government suggest that we are, knock-on-wood, still on track for 2022, but the most intense efforts right now are in the short term,” Campbell said while addressing an event organised by the Center for New American Security.

The White House official said Washington had been in consultation with New Delhi on the issue and added that the US had tried to stand with India by bringing private and public support for the country.
Campbell said the in-person Quad leaders’ meeting will be held in Washington.

“We will ensure that we have taken the necessary steps on the vaccine deliverable — we intend to build on that,” he said. 

​“We want to do something constructive with respect to infrastructure and I think we are going to take some other steps to build out the Quad to ensure that as an unofficial gathering,” he said.