Covid-19
US 'in touch' with India over Covid-19 crisis
New Delhi/UNI: The Joe Biden administration is working with the Indian officials and experts on ways to address the health crisis the country is battling due to the surge in Covid-19 cases.
"We are working closely with Indian officials at both political and experts' level to identify ways to help address the crisis," White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said on Friday.
Asked are there any plans to send any of the US stockpile of AstraZeneca vaccine or any vaccine to India, Psaki said at a press briefing that the US has made vaccine cooperation a "big priority".
"We've made vaccine cooperation a big priority, including with our Quad partners — India is one of our Quad partners, of course — and discussing vaccine creation and distribution for the future."
Reports earlier said Indian officials have raised with their US counterparts the impact of a wartime production law on the supply of raw materials needed by Indian manufacturers of Covid-19 vaccines and the two sides are working together to find appropriate solutions.
On Monday, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar raised it with Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
"From the earliest stages of the pandemic, we've provided India with emergency relief supplies, medical consumables, pandemic training for Indian state and local health officials, and ventilators, which has been part of our effort over the course of time, including 1.4 billion dollars in health assistance to India, to help them prepare for pandemics in the future and deal with the current one we’re facing," said Psaki.
"So there are ongoing discussions," she added.
"I don't have anything more to preview, but we are in touch with them at a range of levels about how we can help get through this period — help them get through this period of time," she added.
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