Top US lawmakers have applauded the Biden administration for its decision to distribute 2.5 crore doses of Covid-19 vaccines to India and other countries and urged him to take all necessary measures to ensure their equitable administration across the world.
US President Joe Biden on Thursday announced that the US will allocate 75 per cent - nearly 1.9 crore of the first tranche of 2.5 crore doses - of unused COVID-19 vaccines from its stockpile through the UN-backed COVAX global vaccine sharing programme to countries in South and Southeast Asia as well as Africa.
The move is part of his administration's framework for sharing 80 million (8 crore) vaccines globally by the end of June.
India's Ambassador to the US, Taranjit Singh Sandhu had said India will be a significant recipient of US vaccines as India has been included in both the identified categories in the allocation announced today- direct supply to neighbours and partner countries, and under the COVAX initiative.
In a tweet, Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith said as India fights its COVID-19 crisis, it's important to continue to share extra US vaccines to help its friend and important ally.
“A return to normalcy and an eventual end to this brutal pandemic will require some global cooperation,” Hyde-Smith said.
Senator John Cornyn, Co-Chair of the Senate India Caucus said, “I applaud the Biden Administration's commitment to getting COVID-19 vaccines to countries that need them most.” “As Co-Chair of the Senate India Caucus, I believe this is an excellent opportunity to help India respond to their current, dangerous surge,” Cornyn said in a tweet.
Congressman Dwight Evans said he supports Biden's plan to send vaccine doses to India and other countries.
Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, who was recently engaged in discussions with the Indian-American community in Houston over the devastating COVID-19 conditions in India, applauded Biden for the step.