India’s Vaccine Policy lauded by IMF Chief Economist Gita Gopinath; “saved the world”, says Top-US Scientist

India’s Covid-19 Vaccine policy and diplomacy has once again been lauded across the world by International Monetary Fund (IMF) Chief Economist Gita Gopinath as she hailed the country for playing an important role during the pandemic by manufacturing and shipping shots to several nations.

India currently has two Covid-19 vaccines approved for Emergency Use – Bharat Biotech’s indigenously developed Covaxin and AstraZeneca’s Covishield manufactured by the Serum Institute of India, Pune. The country’s vaccine diplomacy has been recognized and appreciated throughout the world along with its own Covid-19 vaccination drive which has now entered the 2nd phase.

“India really stands out in terms of its vaccine policy. If you look at where exactly is one manufacturing hub for vaccines in the world – that will be India”

Gita Gopinath, IMF Chief Economist.

She also lauded Serum Institute of India – the largest producer of vaccines in the world, for manufacturing Covid-19 shots for the COVAX facility. The COVAX program, led by the World Health Organisation (WHO), is aimed at ensuring equitable distribution of Covid-19 vaccines globally, especially middle and lower-income nations.

It is worth noting that even at a time of crisis like the Covid-19 pandemic, India emerged with solutions not just for the second-most populous country in the world, but for other countries as well. So far, India has provided 56 lakh doses to several countries including Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Maldives, Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar, and Seychelles.

“India has been at the forefront in fighting this pandemic. The country has been playing a very important role in helping the world in the global health crisis through its vaccination policies,” Gopinath added, while addressing an interactive session during the inaugural Dr. Hansa Mehta Lecture organized on the occasion of International Women’s Day.

India’s vaccine rollout has also been acclaimed by Top US Scientist Dr. Peter Hotez, the Dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) in Houston, who went on to say that the country’s vaccine policy “saved the world”.

Addressing a recent webinar titled “Covid-19: Vaccination and Potential Return to Normalcy”, Hotez pointed out exactly how the “effective yet economically priced vaccines produced in India’s setups are key to global recovery from the pandemic”.

“India’s vaccines have rescued the world including low and middle-income countries. The manner in which the country collaborated with the world’s universities such as the Oxford University and rolled out a viable supply for the world is worthy of applause”

Peter Hotez, Top US Scientist

This is not the first time that India’s contribution towards the global fight against the pandemic has been appreciated. The country has secured a place for itself amongst the world’s top countries as the Pharmacy of the world and one of the biggest drugmakers.

The country’s vaccine policy was previously acclaimed by the World Health Organization (WHO), the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and the Wall-Street Journal among others, which went on to say, “…countries could take a leaf from India’s book when it comes to manufacturing crucial items that might encounter massive demand surges, and where national priorities come to the fore.”