New Delhi: As many as 25 countries are in the queue for COVID-19 vaccine made in India, while the government has already supplied it to 15 other nations.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Saturday that three categories of countries have expressed their eagerness to acquire the vaccine from India, or have got it already. These are poor, price-sensitive nations and other countries, which are dealing with pharmaceutical companies.
“I think right now we have already supplied to about 15 countries (as per my recollection). I would say there would be another about 25 countries which are at different stages in the pipeline. But what it has done is today it has put India on the map of the world,” Jaishankar said during a press conference.
Some poor nations are being supplied the vaccine on a grant basis, while some others want it on par with the price that the Indian government pays to vaccine makers, informed Jaishankar.
The other category comprises countries which have negotiated directly with Indian vaccine-producing companies.
As of now, two COVID vaccines have got the approval for emergency use from the Indian government’s regulator Drugs Controller General of India. They are Covaxin of Bharat Biotech and Covishield, being manufactured by Serum Institute of India in collaboration with Oxford-AstraZeneca.
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