US to Export Raw Material For Covid-19 Vaccines, Will Consider Sending Surplus AstraZeneca Vaccine To India

The United States will immediately make available sources of raw materials required to scale up production of the Covishield coronavirus vaccine. There is a critical shortage of the same as India fights daily new cases of over three lakh & an active caseload of nearly 27 lakh. U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan spoke to his Indian counterpart, Ajit Doval, on April 25 to confirm this. Sullivan also said that his country has "identified supplies of therapeutics, rapid diagnostic test kits, ventilators and PPE suits that will (also) be made immediately available to India". President Joe Biden tweeted that US is "determined" to help India in its "time of need". The White House Statement, however, did not mention sending surplus vaccines, as a backlash grows over the fate of a stockpile of some 30 million doses - of the AstraZeneca-Oxford University drug that the Serum Institute makes in India as Covishield - that not been approved for use. Earlier on April 25, U.S. Congressman, a Democrat from Illinois, made an appeal on those grounds. Starting May 1, India has opened vaccination to everyone over 18, including 101 crore people in the 18-44 group that were so far excluded, making any potential shortage a nightmare scenario.