India to Provide J&J’s Covid-19 Vaccine as Part of Quad Initiative
According to the latest reports, India will manufacture US-developed Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose Covid-19 vaccine shot as a part of the first Quad vaccine initiative. The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, also referred to as Quad or Asian NATO is an informal strategic forum of four countries, including the US, Japan, Australia and India. Quad, launched in 2017, is maintained by semi-regular summits, information exchanges as well as military drills between the member countries.
This vaccine project will be financed by Japan as well as the U.S. Meanwhile, Australia will utilize its logistics functionality to ship the coronavirus vaccines to Southeast Asia and Pacific nations.
It must be noted that on March 12, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend his first Quad Summit along with the leaders of the other three countries. In a press release, The Ministry of External Affairs announced that the PM will participate in the discussion based on regional and global issues of shared interest as well as exchange views on practical areas of cooperation towards maintaining a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific region. The summit is the first of its kind where all the four PMs of the Quad member countries will take part in.
Earlier in February, the External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar participated in the third Foreign Minister-level meeting of the Quad. It was the first interaction of S. Jaishankar with Antony Blinken, the new U.S. Secretary of State.
The press release by The Ministry of External Affairs highlighted that all the leaders will discuss ongoing efforts to fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. Exploring opportunities for collaboration to ensure safe, equitable and affordable novel coronavirus vaccines in the Indo-Pacific region will also be a major point of the discussion.
You May Also Like To Read: Does Covid Vaccine Provide Lifelong Protection?
Disclaimer: This article is issued in the general public interest and meant for general information purposes only. Readers are advised not to rely on the contents of the article as conclusive in nature and should research further or consult an expert in this regard.
