India To Gift 2 Lakh Covid-19 Vaccine Doses To UN Peacekeepers, Plans To Supply Vaccine To 49 More Countries

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has announced on Wednesday (17 February) that India will give two lakh doses of coronavirus vaccine to United Nations peacekeepers, reports Hindustan Times.

"Starting with our immediate neighbours, 25 nations across the world have already received Made in India vaccines. Forty-nine more countries will be supplied in the coming days, ranging from Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean to Africa, South-East Asia and the Pacific Islands,” S Jaishankar said.

“Keeping in mind the UN Peacekeepers who operate in such difficult circumstances, we would like to announce today a gift of 200,000 doses for them. We are working actively with GAVI, WHO and ACT Accelerator. Our contribution has also supported the SAARC," he added.

The minister urged countries to stop vaccine nationalism as hoarding doses will defeat the efforts towards attaining collective health security. He cited Bhagavad Gita to reflect India's approach to meeting the COVID-19 challenge.

"The Bhagavad Gita states 'do your work with the welfare of others always in mind'. That is the spirit in which India approaches the COVID challenge and urges this Council to work collectively to address its different dimensions," he said.

In a big fillip to the global fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, India has supplied several countries with as many as 229.7 lakh doses of vaccines so far, of which 64.7 lakh doses have been supplied as a grant.