By A Special Correspondent
First publised on 2021-04-24 06:16:50
There is no disputing the fact that the US is the worst affected country in the Covid-19 pandemic. As on April 22, it had reported 32,735,704 cases with 585,075 deaths due to coronavirus. These are disturbing figures. But the Biden administration has brought things under control by rapidly vaccinating the US population. Till now, 35 percent of US citizens have been fully vaccinated and about 52 percent have received the first dose. These are excellent figures and will help the country win the war against the virus. Additionally, the US has ample stock of vaccines and more supplies are in the pipeline. At this rate, it will be able to fully vaccinate its entire population in a couple of months and will still be left with massive stocks. Is it ethical for the US to hold on to these doses or to restrict export of vital vaccine making ingredients so urgently required in countries like India on the plea of "Americans first"?
The US has activated the Defence Production Act (generally used in wartime to prevent the country from suffering shortages) to ban the export of key ingredients used in making Covid vaccines. The US company Novamax had contracted to supply these ingredients to Serum Institute of India, which produces the Oxford University-AstraZeneca vaccine Covishield. With India now in the grip of a severe second wave of infections, it vaccination drive runs the risk of getting derailed due to these US restrictions. But the US is in no mood to relent.
Although taking care of its own citizens must be the priority of the government of any country at all times, a spirit of constructive cooperation is expected at times when the entire humanity is threatened. India, despite its limitations, had contributed handsomely to the CoVax programme to make vaccines available to countries around the world, before putting restrictions to vaccinate its own people. But Indiaâs case is obviously different. It has to vaccinate at least 85 crore people in the next six to eight months to achieve herd immunity. For this it needs 170 crore doses, at the rate of 28 crore or 21.25 crore doses per month. While India has taken steps to ramp up its production capacity, without key ingredients, it will be difficult to make the vaccines. Hence, the US must consider the situation and make an exception in Indiaâs case. After all, the US needs just 64 crore doses to fully vaccinate its entire population (which is not possible because as of now, the vaccine has not been tried on children below 16 years of age)and much less to achieve herd immunity.