Quad vaccine initiative starts as India delivers 3.25 lakh Covishield doses to Cambodia

Indian ambassador to Cambodia, Devyani Khobragade, along with representatives from the embassies of Australia, Japan, and the US to Cambodia, jointly handed over a consignment of 3.25 lakh doses of Covishield vaccines to PM Sen at the Peace Palace in Phnom Penh.

“The vaccines have been gifted by India as part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s commitment to donate 500,000 doses of Covid vaccines to the Indo-Pacific under the Quad vaccine initiative,” said the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Tuesday.

The Quad Vaccine Partnership was announced by the Quad leaders at their first Summit on March 12, 2021.

“It aims to leverage Quad’s collective strength to ensure global availability of safe and effective vaccines by expanding manufacturing and assisting countries in the Indo-Pacific with vaccination. Quad countries agreed to provide over 1.2 billion doses of Covid vaccines globally under this initiative,” the statement said.

Quad countries so far have collectively provided Cambodia with close to five million Covid-19 vaccine doses bilaterally and through COVAX.

Quad countries have also provided last-mile delivery assistance to ensure that vaccines are translated into vaccinations. Australia and Japan have provided cold storage equipment, freezers and temperature monitors along with equipment for the safety of health care workers. The US has provided assistance with surveillance and contact tracing, case investigation, training health care workers and data management.

“The Cambodian government has conveyed its appreciation for the vaccines received from Quad through India and for its collective assistance to Cambodia. Quad countries have assured Cambodia about their desire to extend all possible support to combat the pandemic,” the MEA statement said.