New Delhi: The US is taking a look at joint production of Johnson and Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine in India and methods to assist producers just like the Serum Institute of India (SII) to increase production, Daniel B Smith, the Charge D’Affaires of the US embassy, stated on Tuesday (May 11).
Smith additionally stated that the efficacy of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine manufactured at a production facility in Baltimore will not be but clear and the Food and Drug Administration has not but licensed that the doses can be found for anybody’s use or for export.
Last month, the White House stated that the US plans to share 60 million doses of AstraZeneca’s vaccine globally as quickly as they grow to be accessible, and India anticipated a major chunk of the full stockpile.
At a media briefing, Smith stated the US was involved over the present course of the pandemic in India, not just because of the humanitarian disaster but additionally due to the truth that it has world implications, noting that the Biden administration was standing with New Delhi to assist take care of the disaster.
“I know that there are a number of doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine (with the US). They were manufactured in the US. They were manufactured at a plant outside of Baltimore but there were problems with this plant. So far the Food and Drug Administration of the US has not certified that these vaccines are available for anyone’s use; for export or not,” he stated.
“So I cannot say when that will happen or what will be done exactly as we go forward on this,” Smith stated when requested whether or not the US was going to make accessible the AstraZeneca vaccine doses to India on an pressing foundation.
He stated the US was keen to provide the vaccine doses to the world however not earlier than it’s positive that they’re protected and efficient.
Smith, who lately served as performing Secretary of State and performing Deputy Secretary of State, was appointed as Charge d’Affaires primarily to oversee and coordinate the US’ help to India in coping with the pandemic.
To a query on joint production of coronavirus vaccines, Smith stated the establishing of joint productions takes time and that the US was taking a look at the way it can make investments in boosting production.
“Our development finance cooperation is looking at how we can invest so that we can help produce the Johnson and Johnson’s vaccine here in India. And I know that there are some private-sector production talks that are underway from pharmaceutical companies to pharmaceutical companies,” he stated.
“We are determined to do all we can as a government to encourage licensing and encourage more production and if there is a need for capital, we will look at what we can provide and whether we can provide assistance,” he stated.
Smith stated India’s function in the production of COVID-19 vaccines on the world stage is vital.
“I think we are watching carefully the production levels at the SII and elsewhere. We’ve been in close touch with the SII to try to determine what raw materials we could provide, and assistance that we can provide to help boost production,” he stated.
The US has been in contact with a number of vaccine producers in the nation.
“We want to do all we can to boost that production because I have heard from some of my colleagues in neighbouring countries, from the government of Bhutan, about their concern that India, of course, is having to divert a lot of its existing production to its own domestic needs, which is absolutely understandable,” he stated.
“But in the same token, it means a lot of these countries are at risk that they will not get a second round of this vaccination. So we are looking to partner with other countries, we are looking at what we can do both to boost the production here in India but also to make up for whatever shortfall exists as a result of India’s own dire need for these vaccines,” he added.
As India reeled from a devastating second wave of coronavirus infections, the US quickly deployed six planeloads of life-saving provides in assist of the nation’s battle in opposition to the pandemic.
The US authorities’s help to India is estimated at USD 100 million.
Smith stated there was a necessity to work intently to deal with points relating to the availability chain.
“A lot of the companies that manufacture key components and raw materials are located in the US, but many are not. So we are going to have to work together as a global community to address some of these supply chain issues and challenges that we face as we go forward,” he stated.
“We are concerned obviously with the current course of the pandemic in India, not simply because of the humanitarian catastrophe but the fact that it has global implications,” the US Charge D’Affaires stated.
