Amid Mounting Pressure, US Announces It Will Immediately Make Raw Materials Available For Covishield Manufacturing

The United States on Sunday (26 April) issued a statement assuring that it will immediately make available the raw materials which are required for the manufacture of Serum Institute of india's Covishield vaccine.

The US issued this statement after a phone call between National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval and his American counterpart Jake Sullivan.

While acknowledging India's help to the US at the start of the pandemic, the NSC spokesperson Emily Horne said that the US is determined to in-turn help India in its time of need.

The US thus assured that it has identified specific raw material sources needed for the manufacture of Covishield, which will immediately be made available for India.

"The United States is working around the clock to deploy available resources and supplies. The United States has identified sources of specific raw material urgently required for Indian manufacture of the Covishield vaccine that will immediately be made available for India", the statement reads.

The US will also supply rapid diagnostic and PPE kits to India as it pursues options to provide oxygen generation and related supplies on an urgent basis.

These assurances to help India were also echoed by US President Joe Biden.

"Just as India sent assistance to the United States as our hospitals were strained early in the pandemic, we are determined to help India in its time of need", Biden tweeted.

These assurances by the US come after mounting pressure from various sides over its ban on export of raw material, which are critical for vaccine production in India.

The ban had continued for days, despite public appeals by key stakeholders like Adar Poonawalla