New Delhi: India’s vaccine diplomacy may suffer a blow from Corona. The Serum Institute of India (SII) has recently written an inability to provide vaccines to three countries. These countries also paid the price for the vaccine supply. In such a situation, this letter of SII may hamper the vaccination campaign of these countries. Also, this is also not good news in terms of India’s Vaccine Friendship Campaign.
According to Nava Bharat times news, in a letter to Serum Institute chief Adar Poonawala, Brazil, Morocco and Saudi Arabia have said that there may be an indefinite delay in sending the vaccine already purchased. Let us tell that Brazil had ordered 20 million vaccines to India, out of which it has been able to get only 4 million vaccines. Similarly, Morocco also signed a 20 million vaccine dose in August last year, but only 7 million vaccines have been made available to it. Like these two countries, Saudi Arabia has also applied for 20 million vaccine doses, out of which it has received only 3 million doses.
Vaccine production was stalled due to fire
The letter sent to the head of Brazil’s FioCruz Institute reads, “The serum recently signed additional agreements with other governments outside the scope of its original sub-licensing agreement with AstraZeneca.” To meet these additional supply commitments, we had also started to increase manufacturing facilities, but due to a fire in one of our buildings, the manufacturing output has been affected. In these circumstances you cannot be guaranteed a vaccine supply. ‘
These countries have not yet received an answer
A similar letter has also been sent to Moroccan and Saudi Arabian authorities. Ironically, no country has yet responded to this letter. Let us tell you that there was a fire in the serum building in January this year. At that time, Poonawala had said that this would not reduce the vaccine production because the fire was in an under-construction building.
More vaccine demand in Brazil
In such a situation, there is growing discontent among the countries which have already paid for the vaccine supply, yet the vaccine is not available. Diplomatic sources say that it is becoming a political problem. Corona in Brazil is killing about 3,000 people every day. Brazil had to procure 4 million vaccines from China due to increased vaccine demand. Manufacturing of Brazil’s own vaccine is expected to begin in May.
Moroccan and Saudi push for the vaccination campaign
Similarly, Morocco had planned to provide a serum-convicted vaccine to most of its population, but now their vaccination campaign is being hampered due to non-supply. Saudi Arabia is a close strategic partner of India. There is about 2 million Indian diasporas here. Saudi Arabia has received only 3 million vaccines so far.
