NEW DELHI: The United Kingdom on Wednesday announced that it will give away 100 million doses of Covid vaccines to Commonwealth and other Asian countries by June 2022. However, India has not been included in the list of beneficiaries.
“We have seen the UK government’s announcement of giving vaccines to the Commonwealth and Asian countries. As far as I am aware, we are not on that list,” Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson said.
The UK said it would soon begin donating the doses, and the initial nine million doses will be given to Jamaica, Kenya and other Asian countries, starting on Friday.
“They will go to countries, vulnerable places like Laos and Cambodia, partners like Indonesia, Malaysia (and) a range of Commonwealth countries from Kenya to Jamaica. This demonstrates we’re not just doing it because it’s in our own interest. It shows global Britain as a life-saving force for good in the world,” UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said.
London aims to donate around 30 million of 100 million doses by December. About 80 per cent of the donations will be done through the Covax programme while the remaining would be given directly to the countries.
According to the UK Foreign Office, the country aims to prioritise vaccine delivery to countries that need it the most. “This demonstrates we’re not just doing it because it’s in our own interest. It shows global Britain as a life-saving force for good in the world,” UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said.