NEW DELHI: India has supplied more COVID-19 vaccines globally than vaccinated its own people, the country has told the UN General Assembly and cautioned that vaccine inequity will defeat the collective global resolve to contain the coronavirus as the disparity in the accessibility of vaccines will affect the poorest nations the most.
India's deputy permanent representative to the UN K Nagaraj Naidu was speaking in the discussion on the India-initiated 'Political Declaration on Equitable Global Access to COVID-19 Vaccine'. The move has garnered the support of over 180-member states.
Naidu, addressing the informal meeting of the UNGA, said that 2021 began on a positive note as multiple vaccines were developed against COVID. "While the vaccine challenge has been resolved, we are now confronted with ensuring the availability, accessibility, affordability, and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines. Lack of global cooperation and disparity in the accessibility of vaccines will affect the poorest nations the most," he said.
The envoy's comment's come amid reports of vaccine shortages in various parts of the country. However, the government has maintained that there was no shortage and India's domestic demand will be prioritised while exporting vaccines.
"India would not only be vaccinating 300 million of its own frontline workers over the next six months but in the process had also supplied vaccines to over 70 nations. In fact, as of today we have supplied more vaccines globally than have vaccinated our own people," he said.
The remarks also come in the backdrop of reports suggesting that the government had banned the export of vaccines. However, sources had said that no such order had been passed. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is on a two-day visit to Bangladesh, on Friday said that India was giving another 1.2 million doses of the vaccine to Bangladesh.