India wishes to send more vaccines to Caribbean and Latin America: Indian Health Minister

Indian Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said his country was prepared to send COVID-19 vaccines to Latin American and Caribbean countries. He said India is ready to supply Covishield (Oxford Astrazeneca's vaccine made in India) and Covaxin (manufactured by an Indian Pharmaceutical Company).

India was the first nation to come to Caribbean countries with COVID-19 vaccines. Many countries in the region started their vaccination efforts with the help of India's Vaccine Maitri initiative, which has given vaccines to low-income countries worldwide.

Many Caribbean countries such as St Kitts and Nevis, Guyana, St Lucia, Grenada and Dominica, Antigua and Barbuda benefited from India's vaccine initiative.

Explaining India's strategy to combat Covid-19, the Minister of Health spoke about the six vaccines accepted in the country.

As per to a declaration from the Indian Ministry of Health around 1.2 billion doses were given in the world's second-most populous country, the data showed that 82 per cent of Indians took at least one dose of vaccination, and 44 percent of Indians were fully vaccinated. "India was capable of combating Covid-19 under an 'entire government' approach, where provincial and local administration put a foundation for the aims of the Government of India," Mandaviya stated.

"India is inspired by the theory of 'Vasudaiva Kutumbakam', which motivated us to supply Covid-19 vaccines, hydroxychloroquine and other pharmaceutical demands to all our friends. Moreover, India is ready to provide Covishield and Covaxin to all current countries, Mandaviya told the media.

"Mutual recognition of vaccines raises the travel condition for tourism and business, thus increasing the financial recovery that the entire so desperately requires," the minister stated.

With its expertise in information technology, India immediately introduced the CoWIN platform for its vaccination program. He said India had shared the technology with partners and would help all countries build their vaccines.

"Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India's health care is seeing a revolutionary change that its friends can take benefit from," the Indian health minister said.