‘Americans First’: US Defends Export Ban On Covid Vaccine Raw Materials To India
In highest ever spike, India on Friday recorded over 3.46 lakh new cases, takes the country's caseload to 1.66 crore. India also witnessed the deadliest day of the pandemic with 2,624 deaths.
Washington: Asserting US President Joe Biden administration’s first obligation is to take care of the requirements of the American people, a senior State Department official has defended the country’s restrictions on the export of key raw materials for the manufacture of Covid-19 vaccine that threatens to slow India's vaccination drive.
“...the United States first and foremost is engaged in an ambitious and effective and, so far, successful effort to vaccinate the American people,” PTI quoted State Department spokesperson Ned Price as saying while responding to a poser on when Biden administration would decide on India’s request to lift a ban on the export of vaccine raw materials.
Stating “that campaign is well underway”, Price said the US is “doing that for a couple of reasons”.
READ: India's Covid-19 Situation Is 'Devastating Reminder Of What Virus Can Do’, Says WHO Chief
“Number one, we have a special responsibility to the American people. Number two, the American people, this country has been hit harder than any other country around the world - more than 550,000 deaths, tens of millions of infections in this country alone,” he said on Thursday.
The State Department spokesperson said it is not only in the US interest to see Americans vaccinated but it is in the interests of the rest of the world to see Americans vaccinated.
“The point the Secretary (of State Antony Blinken) has made repeatedly is that as long as the virus is spreading anywhere, it is a threat to people everywhere. So, as long as the virus is spreading uncontrolled in this country, it can mutate and it can travel beyond our borders. That, in turn, poses a threat well beyond the United States,” Price said.
“We will, of course, always do as much as we can, consistent with our first obligation,” he added.
The State Department spokesperson further said the US has played a leadership role when it comes to containing, seeking to contain the virus beyond its borders.
“We have re-engaged with the WHO on day one, the USD 2 billion we've contributed to COVAX, with 2 billion more on the way. When it comes to our own hemisphere, the loan arrangement with Canada and Mexico, and when it comes to India, the Quad and the arrangement with the Quad, including to increase production capacity in India,” Price said.
“So as we are more comfortable in our position here at home, as we are confident that we are able to address any contingencies as they may arise, I expect we'll be able to do more,” he added.
The US State Department Spokesperson’s remarks come at a time when India is currently facing an unprecedented surge in Covid-19 infections.
In highest ever spike, India on Friday recorded over 3.46 lakh new cases, takes the country's caseload to 1.66 crore. India also witnessed the deadliest day of the pandemic with 2,624 deaths.
The US administration recently conveyed to New Delhi that it understands the country’s pharmaceutical requirements and promised to give the matter due consideration while observing the current difficulty in the export of critical raw materials needed to manufacture Covid-19 vaccines is mainly due to an Act that forces the American companies to prioritise domestic consumption.
India’s envoy to the US, Taranjit Singh Sandhu, has been taking up the matter in recent weeks with the administration officials in Washington.
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