US hails India's 'incredible' vaccine manufacturing capacity, calls it 'major exporter of vaccines'

The White House stated that India is a significant vaccine manufacturer for the world and that it was significant to the global supply of COVID-19 vaccinations.

Dr Ashish Jha, the White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator, told reporters at a news conference on Tuesday that "because of its incredible manufacturing capacity, (India) has been a major exporter of vaccines."

In response to a question, Dr Jha stated that the Joe Biden administration valued the QUAD partnership on coronavirus, which is a strategic security dialogue between Australia, India, Japan, and the US.

"I think India is an important manufacturer of vaccines for the world. I mean not just for India itself, this is a really important thing," he stated during the White House press conference.

Dr Jha defended the Biden administration's decision to provide vaccines to all countries, saying that the US will continue to do so for all low-income and numerous low- and middle-income nations.

"There are about 100 countries that are eligible to get free vaccines through COVAX — where we donate the vaccines still available for donation," he stated. Every significant variant that reached the US, in Dr Jha's opinion, originated abroad. The idea that we could somehow isolate ourselves and not be impacted by what was occurring in the rest of the globe, he added, was just naive.

"It's just not how transmissible viruses like this work. So even if you think about it from very narrow self-interest, it's very important that we get much of the world vaccinated, that we help build out the kind of vaccination program. But beyond self-interest, you know, America is a country that has deeply engaged in the world," he said.

According to Dr Jha, Biden has 'very differently' led the United States in terms of global health than the previous president.

Therefore, he stated, "so, for a whole set of reasons, it's very, very important that America continues to lead, €4.02 billion is a small investment to make to better protect Americans and better protect the world."

(With inputs from PTI)