WHO DG thanks India for resuming COVID vaccine supply to COVAX from October

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), thanked India on Wednesday for restarting vital COVID vaccine supplies to COVAX in October. Ghebreyesus further stated that the decision will assist WHO in achieving its objective of 40% vaccination coverage in all countries by the end of the year.

Tedros went on Twitter and thanked Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, for stating that COVID-19 vaccination supplies to COVAX will begin in October. He wrote that this is a significant step toward achieving the 40% vaccination objective for all nations by the end of the year. Vaccine Equity is a campaign to raise awareness about vaccine inequity.

Indian government expects vaccine producers to provide more than 30 crore doses

The WHO Director-General remarks came after Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare Mansukh Mandaviya announced that the Indian government will resume 'Vaccine Maitri,' an initiative to provide COVID vaccines to countries around the world, as well as fulfil its COVAX obligations, in the fourth quarter of 2021. Mandaviya further stated that the Indian government expects vaccine producers to provide more than 30 crore doses in the month of October and over 100 crore doses in the coming quarter from October to December. The total number of doses given out across the country has surpassed 81.7 crores.

After the country was hit by the second wave of the pandemic in April of this year, India halted the shipment of COVID-19 vaccines. Before the export ban, India gave or sold 6.6 doses to over 100 nations. COVAX is a global project led by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, and the World Health Organization to provide equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines. The extra vaccine supply would be utilised to fulfil India's obligation to the international community in the battle against COVID-19, according to the Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare.

Vaccination coverage has reached the figure of 80 crores 

Meanwhile, as of 7 am on Wednesday, India's COVID-19 vaccination coverage had reached the milestone figure of 80 crores with the delivery of 37 lakh vaccine doses in the past 24 hours, according to provisional reports. The Indian Ministry of Health data suggests that this was accomplished through 79 lakh sessions.

(Inputs from ANI/ PTI)

Image: AP