In talks with Pfizer, Moderna, J&J to make vaccines in India: Foreign secy

India is looking forward to WHO's nod for vaccine manufactured by Bharat Biotech

India is in discussion with top US vaccine manufacturers -- Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, and Moderna -- on the manufacturing of their vaccines in the country to strengthen the inoculation drive in the country.

“We are part of the discussion with major vaccine manufacturers about sourcing and manufacturing their vaccines locally. We have also helped to expedite the introduction of Sputnik-V vaccines,” Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said on Thursday.

“Vaccines have complex supply chains. We have worked to ease regulatory disruption to these supply chains with key partners through diplomatic interventions,” Shringla said.

During April-May, India battled a devastating second wave of the pandemic, coupled with a severe shortage of essential medical supplies, including Covid-19 vaccines, in various parts of the country.

India is expecting 2 billion doses of Covid-19 vaccines between August and December, enough to take care of the adult population of the country.

Last week, NITI Aayog member V K Paul had said the Centre and Pfizer were working together on importing the Covid vaccine following indications from the US pharma company that it had the vaccine available from July.

Besides, the government is looking at Pfizer’s indemnity request.

Speaking at the World Health Organization’s South-East Asia Regional Health Partners’ Forum on Covid-19, Shringla said India was also looking forward to the UN body’s approval for the indigenous vaccine Covaxin, manufactured by Bharat Biotech.

He further said India was fighting an “exceptionally severe” second wave of the pandemic, which had resulted in “unprecedented economic and social disruptions and distress”.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has been working towards procuring essential raw material and medical supplies for Covid-19, he said, adding that throughout the pandemic, his department identified and connected with potential suppliers of essential medicines, raw material, and medical equipment across the world.

“We have adapted rapidly to virtual diplomacy during the pandemic period. The prime minister has conducted over 12 virtual summits and more than 75 virtual bilaterals. The external affairs minister and the ministry have conducted literally hundreds of ministerials, joint commissions, multilateral engagements, foreign office consultations, senior officials’ meetings, etc,” he said.

India will participate in creating global scale capacities.

“A number of serious global conversations are underway on this in platforms such as the G7, the G20, QUAD, BRICS, the United Nations and the WHO itself,” he added.

India is also working with several other countries in the World Trade Organization (WHO) on a targeted and temporary waiver under the Trade-Related Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) to ensure timely and secure access to vaccines for all.

In a separate briefing, MEA Official Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said India was separately engaging with the US administration to ensure that necessary components and raw materials for vaccine manufacturing and production in India were available.

The US had said it will share an additional 20 million Covid-19 vaccine doses with other countries, in addition to the 60 million AstraZeneca vaccines it has committed. Currently, 60 million doses of AstraZeneca are still undergoing the control checks by the Food and Drug Administration and are expected to be available soon.