NEW DELHI: The United States of America on Sunday said it will provide raw materials for the manufacture of Covishield in India among other aid that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken had assured the country of, earlier in the day.
The US has a ban in place on the export of raw materials for Covid vaccines and other medical equipment in order to cater to domestic demands. The ban remains.
The announcement was made by National Security Council Spokesperson Emily Horne, following a conversation between National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval.
“The US has identified sources of specific raw material urgently required for Indian manufacture of the Covishield vaccine that will immediately be made available for India.
“To help treat Covid-19 patients and protect frontline health workers in India, the United States has identified supplies of therapeutics, rapid diagnostic test kits, ventilators and PPE that will immediately be made available for India,” a statement from Horne said.
Earlier in the day, Blinken had assured India of additional deployment of aid to health workers. Horne, in her statement, said the US is pursuing options relating to provide oxygen generation and related supplies on an urgent basis. She also said a team of public health advisors will be deployed from CDC.
Meanwhile, sources said that Indian ambassador to the US, Taranjit Singh Sandhu was taking up the matter with officials concerned and the issue also came up during talks between Blinken and India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.
In response to a query by this newspaper, Pune-based Serum Institute of India had said earlier in the day that the ban does not impact Covishield production in India.
The company also clarified that a tweet by its CEO Adar Poonawalla urging the US President to lift the ban was meant to ease the production of Covovax, another vaccine, for which the firm has tied up with the US-based Novavax.
SII, the biggest vaccine maker in the world by volume, is looking to launch Covovax by September and is worried that the timeline may get affected if a quick decision on lifting the ban by the US was not taken.