India's <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus">coronavirus </a>numbers are going from bad to worse as daily new cases have crossed the 180,000-mark.

There has been a talk of new <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus-vaccine">vaccines</a>&nbsp;being introduced and there's a lot of confusion.

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There are several questions that are brewing in one's mind when it comes to India's vaccination drive.&nbsp;

We'll try to answer some of these doubts.

In pics | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/how-indian-cities-states-fighting-coronavirus-as-concerns-mount-377581">How Indian cities, states fighting coronavirus as concerns mount</a>

In India, four vaccines could see rapid approval: Johnson &amp; Johnson, Zydus Cadila, Serum Institute's Novavax and a nasal vaccine developed by Bharat Biotech.

Some foreign vaccines are also lined up, with the likes of Pfizer and Moderna.

But, most of these foreign companies have signed commercial contracts elsewhere and they must supply jabs to the US and European Union first.

<h2>Is India ready to roll out Pfizer and Moderna?</h2>

They are both mRNA vaccines, meaning they are stored in sub-zero temperatures.

But most facilities in India have a capacity between 2 and 8-degree Celsius.

This is enough for Covishield, Covaxin and Sputnik, but not Moderna and Pfizer.

We don't have storage facilities so more vaccine approvals do not mean more doses.

Take for instance, Sputnik V.&nbsp;

Earlier, we were told India has the capacity to produce 850 million doses, but now that number has been revised.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-indias-evolving-vaccine-strategy-377625">Watch |</a>

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Russian officials are looking at just 50 million doses by the end of summer.

And this isn't just a problem in India. Globally, the vaccine arithmetic is all over the place.

As many as 14 vaccines have been approved around the world and their projected output is 21 billion doses.

Out of this, 11.2 billion have already been purchased, mostly by the global North.

Just 3.56 billion are available for the COVAX initiative, a global vaccine alliance.&nbsp;

The cost too has a massive range, from $2 to $44.&nbsp;

More than half the doses have been purchased by around 20 per cent of the population.

Doctors say you need just two shots, but some countries have purchased enough doses for three or four shots.

As a result, vaccine makers are now swamped with orders.

Their backlogs could run into months, possibly years.

AstraZeneca is the top dog as more than three billion doses of the vaccine have been ordered so far.

Novavax is second on the list with just over 1.4 billion orders.

It is followed by Pfizer, Moderna, Sputnik and J&amp;J.

But Johnson &amp; Johnson has hit a roadblock as its vaccine is causing serious blood clots.

So the US and EU have paused the rollout, putting more pressure on the remaining jabs.

Even in India, the pharmacy of the world, neither Serum Institute nor Bharat Biotech is producing at full capacity, because they don't think it is profitable enough.

The government was first buying Covishield at 2.8 dollars, and now that price tag has been driven down to 2 dollars.

So the producers don't want to invest, they feel they have been dealt a bad hand.

Pharma companies want the government to infuse funds, but there is no clarity on whether this request will be granted.

If any country can beat this shortage, it is India.

Every year, India produces 8.3 billion doses of vaccines for different diseases, not just the coronavirus.

But if the need arises, this capacity can be tweaked.

But, there is a trade-off.

More Covid-19 vaccines mean lesser polio, measles vaccines, something that could hurt the country in the long run.

So the most prudent option appears to be the government's help.

Public funds must be pumped into vaccine production.

Take a look at the global vaccine rollout, India has given more than 111 million shots, the US, 192 million.

In absolute numbers, this is impressive because India started its vaccination drive a month later than US.&nbsp;

But in a population of 1.3 billion, it's like a drop in the ocean.

<h2>The big takeaways</h2>

<ul>
	<li>The world simply doesn't have enough doses.</li>
	<li>The ones available have been scooped up by the rich states.</li>
	<li>Vaccine makers are booking profits but they are dealing with huge backlogs.</li>
	<li>And hysteria over side effects is trimming our already small basket of options.</li>
</ul>

So our one piece of advice is: Wear a mask, keep social distancing and remember that the best vaccine is the one you get first.

India's coronavirus numbers are going from bad to worse as daily new cases have crossed the 180,000-mark. There has been a talk of new vaccines being introduced and there's a lot of confusion.

India's coronavirus numbers are going from bad to worse as daily new cases have crossed the 180,000-mark. There has been a talk of new vaccines being introduced and there's a lot of confusion. There are several questions that are brewing in one's mind when it comes to India's vaccination drive. We'll try to answer some of these doubts. In pics | How Indian cities, states fighting coronavirus as concerns mount In India, four vaccines could see rapid approval: Johnson & Johnson, Zydus Cadila, Serum Institute's Novavax and a nasal vaccine developed by Bharat Biotech. Some foreign vaccines are also lined up, with the likes of Pfizer and Moderna. But, most of these foreign companies have signed commercial contracts elsewhere and they must supply jabs to the US and European Union first. Is India ready to roll out Pfizer and Moderna? They are both mRNA vaccines, meaning they are stored in sub-zero temperatures. But most facilities in India have a capacity between 2 and 8-degree Celsius. This is enough for Covishield, Covaxin and Sputnik, but not Moderna and Pfizer. We don't have storage facilities so more vaccine approvals do not mean more doses. Take for instance, Sputnik V. Earlier, we were told India has the capacity to produce 850 million doses, but now that number has been revised. Watch | Russian officials are looking at just 50 million doses by the end of summer. And this isn't just a problem in India. Globally, the vaccine arithmetic is all over the place. As many as 14 vaccines have been approved around the world and their projected output is 21 billion doses. Out of this, 11.2 billion have already been purchased, mostly by the global North. Just 3.56 billion are available for the COVAX initiative, a global vaccine alliance. The cost too has a massive range, from $2 to $44. More than half the doses have been purchased by around 20 per cent of the population. Doctors say you need just two shots, but some countries have purchased enough doses for three or four shots. As a result, vaccine makers are now swamped with orders. Their backlogs could run into months, possibly years. AstraZeneca is the top dog as more than three billion doses of the vaccine have been ordered so far. Novavax is second on the list with just over 1.4 billion orders. It is followed by Pfizer, Moderna, Sputnik and J&J. But Johnson & Johnson has hit a roadblock as its vaccine is causing serious blood clots. So the US and EU have paused the rollout, putting more pressure on the remaining jabs. Even in India, the pharmacy of the world, neither Serum Institute nor Bharat Biotech is producing at full capacity, because they don't think it is profitable enough. The government was first buying Covishield at 2.8 dollars, and now that price tag has been driven down to 2 dollars. So the producers don't want to invest, they feel they have been dealt a bad hand. Pharma companies want the government to infuse funds, but there is no clarity on whether this request will be granted. If any country can beat this shortage, it is India. Every year, India produces 8.3 billion doses of vaccines for different diseases, not just the coronavirus. But if the need arises, this capacity can be tweaked. But, there is a trade-off. More Covid-19 vaccines mean lesser polio, measles vaccines, something that could hurt the country in the long run. So the most prudent option appears to be the government's help. Public funds must be pumped into vaccine production. Take a look at the global vaccine rollout, India has given more than 111 million shots, the US, 192 million. In absolute numbers, this is impressive because India started its vaccination drive a month later than US. But in a population of 1.3 billion, it's like a drop in the ocean. The big takeaways The world simply doesn't have enough doses. The ones available have been scooped up by the rich states. Vaccine makers are booking profits but they are dealing with huge backlogs. And hysteria over side effects is trimming our already small basket of options. So our one piece of advice is: Wear a mask, keep social distancing and remember that the best vaccine is the one you get first.

As India intensifies fight against Covid-19, will vaccine shortage complicate things?

Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh administered more than 10 million COVID-19 vaccinations during the four-day ''Tika Utsav'', the health ministry said on Thursday.

The vaccination festival from April 11-14 saw intense vaccination activity with 29,33,418 doses being given on April 11, and another 40,04,521 jabs administered the next day, the ministry said.

The corresponding figure for 13th and 14th April stands at 26,46,528 and 33,13,848.

The total vaccination figures during the ''Tika Utsav'' saw a jump of 1,28,98,314 vaccine doses being administered to people of eligible groups across the country, the ministry said.

Three states administered more than 1 crore vaccinations cumulatively. These are Maharashtra (1,11,19,018), Rajasthan (1,02,15,471) and Uttar Pradesh (1,00,17,650), it said

India has been scaling multiple peaks in its effort to vaccinate vulnerable sections of its population against the COVID-19 virus.

The ‘Tika Utsav’ saw many Workplace Vaccination Centres (CVCs) operational across private and public workplaces, the ministry said.

On an average 45,000 CVCs used to be functional on any given day. On Day-1, Day-2, Day-3 and Day-4 of the four day ''Tika Utsav'', 63,800, 71,000, 67,893 and 69,974 CVCs were active, respectively.

On the first day of the vaccination festival, which was a Sunday, more than 27 lakh vaccine doses were administered till 8 pm that day.

Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh administered more than 10 million COVID-19 vaccinations during the four-day ''Tika Utsav'', the health ministry said on Thursday.

Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh administered more than 10 million COVID-19 vaccinations during the four-day ''Tika Utsav'', the health ministry said on Thursday. The vaccination festival from April 11-14 saw intense vaccination activity with 29,33,418 doses being given on April 11, and another 40,04,521 jabs administered the next day, the ministry said. The corresponding figure for 13th and 14th April stands at 26,46,528 and 33,13,848. The total vaccination figures during the ''Tika Utsav'' saw a jump of 1,28,98,314 vaccine doses being administered to people of eligible groups across the country, the ministry said. Three states administered more than 1 crore vaccinations cumulatively. These are Maharashtra (1,11,19,018), Rajasthan (1,02,15,471) and Uttar Pradesh (1,00,17,650), it said India has been scaling multiple peaks in its effort to vaccinate vulnerable sections of its population against the COVID-19 virus. The ‘Tika Utsav’ saw many Workplace Vaccination Centres (CVCs) operational across private and public workplaces, the ministry said. On an average 45,000 CVCs used to be functional on any given day. On Day-1, Day-2, Day-3 and Day-4 of the four day ''Tika Utsav'', 63,800, 71,000, 67,893 and 69,974 CVCs were active, respectively. On the first day of the vaccination festival, which was a Sunday, more than 27 lakh vaccine doses were administered till 8 pm that day.

India vaccine drive: Three states administered more than 10 million shots

Bangladesh's Foreign Secretary Ambassador Masud Bin Momen who was in India for the foreign office consultations has called ties with India "deep and historic".

Speaking to WION's&nbsp;Principal Diplomatic Correspondent Sidhant Sibal, Ambassador Masud lauded India's Vaccine diplomacy, saying, "India has made available not only to Bangladesh but also to other Neighbours, as part of the Neighbourhood first policy of India and we are deeply appreciative of this."

India earlier this month gifted 2 million COVID-19&nbsp;vaccines to Bangladesh. From 20 January 2021 onwards, New Delhi has gifted over 55 lakh doses of vaccines to its 9 countries part of its neighbourhood and extended neighbourhood.

During the foreign office consultations and his meeting with India's External affairs minister Dr S Jaishankar, Ambassador Masud also discussed the Rohingya issue. He said, Dhaka is "hopeful, maybe by the second quarter of this year, we can start repatriation (of Rohingya), maybe in small batches". Adding, "It should start and it can start provided Myanmar has the necessary political will."

WION: How were your conversations with the Indian counterpart?

Ambassador Masud Bin Momen: We had a very fruitful discussion with Indian foreign secretary Harsh Shringla and earlier he visited Bangladesh and had a brief conversation with him. This is more of a regular contact at the foreign secretary-level. We discussed a lot of issues, but the meeting was also about the visit of Indian Prime minister Narendra Modi to Bangladesh to take part in Independence Day celebrations and also 50th anniversary of ties. This year is very important for us, this year we are celebrating Mujib Barsho, the 100th birth centenary of our father of the nation Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, silver jubilee of our Independence, and the establishment of ties. India was one of the first countries to recognize Bangladesh, on 6th December. So we like to have year-long programs, it will start with PM Modi's visit to Bangladesh, but it will not be a one of thing.

Throughout the year we will have joint programmes, in Delhi, In Bangladesh and also in other parts of the world--jointly by our high commissions. So that was something, we shared a tentative programme with my counterpart with PM Modi's proposed visit. We would like to make it a special one. Other than that, we discussed trade and commerce issues, connectivity issues, water issues, border management issues, so we have so many mechanisms between Bangladesh and India. We have, from time to time kept track and coordinated and integrated so that we have results from these interactions. Very soon we will have a home secretary-level meeting, water secretary-level meetings, all these before PM's visit. So hopefully, we will have more concrete developments to report. During PM's visit, we are identifying a few deliverables which would be important for both the countries, mostly connectivity related issues also symbolic. We have Swadhinata Sarak road between the first place where our govt in exile was sworn in, its in Meherpur. A small patch has been prepared before the summit.

WION: How do you see India's covid vaccine diplomacy?

Ambassador Masud Bin Momen: From early days we are cooperating, and PM Modi convened the SAARC summit level meet digitally to discuss covid cooperation and time to time we have received valuable supplies. Now we have a new chapter of vaccine cooperation and India has made available not only to Bangladesh but also to other Neighbours, as part of the Neighbourhood first policy of India and we are deeply appreciative of this. 2 million vaccines India has made available to Bangladesh. The administering of which has already begun in Dhaka but will also spread to other cities.

We have also purchased 30 million from Serum Institute and some of it has already arrived and we are expecting rest of it to come in phases so that sequencing is done in a manner so that the first shots, 2nd shot get in time. Also, the shelf life of this vaccine has to be taken into consideration. The next stage is India's own Bharat biotech. they have also offered Bangladesh to have some 3rd stage of human trial which is under process in Bangladesh. We are also looking at co-production. Some of our pharma companies, they are capable to handle production as well. Thereby joint initiative can help us and help out other countries in Africa, Latin America. As far as Bangladesh is concerned, we are happy to start vaccination in Bangladesh. India, Bangladesh, Nepal the prevalence of covid is coming down, that is good news. May be by march or April we will win over the crisis if new strain doesn't come.

WION: Bangladesh-India Ties going through "golden age", but how do you see ties between Bangladesh and China?

Ambassador Masud Bin Momen: Our ties with Bejing are mostly economic and we import from China billions of dollars of worth of goods, which is true for many countries. India used to import from China but during COVID, we have seen interruption of supply chain and it has given us the realisation that countries in the neighbourhood should cooperate more, in terms of helping each other, enhancing trade relations. thereby, China is helping us economically and we have some big projects which are currently done through Chinese contractors. therefore, I don't see, our relations with China should have any serious implications for our very deep and historic relationship with India. We should not compare the two.

WION: If you can update us on the Rohingya crisis?

Ambassador Masud Bin Momen: This is a major problem for us. You have seen it personally, both in Cox's Bazar and now we are relocating some of them in Bhashan char island. This is a temporary solution because Bangladesh landmass size is a very small country. 1.1 million Rohingya in a small place like Cox's Bazar fraught with all sorts of challenges and risks. We would like to see the early resolution of the crisis and only permanent solution is if these people can go back from where they came, that is the Rakhine province of Myanmar.

We have restarted our discussion with Myanmar with the help of China though a trilateral arrangement. We are hopeful, maybe by the second quarter of this year, we can start repatriation, maybe in small batches. It should start and it can start provided Myanmar has the necessary political will. Once these people are identified, verified and ready to cross over to Myanmar, India and countries like Japan, who have good relations with Myanmar can really help. I raised the issue with my counterpart and also EAM Jaishankar, they promised, they already working towards that and when the time comes, they will be more active, especially, another side of the border to ensure safety security and ensure the sustainable livelihood of these people. In other words to give, them more confidence in going back.

&nbsp;

Bangladesh's Foreign Secretary Ambassador Masud Bin Momen who was in India for the foreign office consultations has called ties with India "deep and historic". Speaking to WION's Principal Diplomatic Correspondent Sidhant Sibal, Ambassador Masud lauded India's Vaccine diplomacy, saying, "India has made available not only to Bangladesh but also to other Neighbours, as part of the Neighbourhood first policy of India and we are deeply appreciative of this.

Bangladesh's Foreign Secretary Ambassador Masud Bin Momen who was in India for the foreign office consultations has called ties with India "deep and historic". Speaking to WION's Principal Diplomatic Correspondent Sidhant Sibal, Ambassador Masud lauded India's Vaccine diplomacy, saying, "India has made available not only to Bangladesh but also to other Neighbours, as part of the Neighbourhood first policy of India and we are deeply appreciative of this." India earlier this month gifted 2 million COVID-19 vaccines to Bangladesh. From 20 January 2021 onwards, New Delhi has gifted over 55 lakh doses of vaccines to its 9 countries part of its neighbourhood and extended neighbourhood. During the foreign office consultations and his meeting with India's External affairs minister Dr S Jaishankar, Ambassador Masud also discussed the Rohingya issue. He said, Dhaka is "hopeful, maybe by the second quarter of this year, we can start repatriation (of Rohingya), maybe in small batches". Adding, "It should start and it can start provided Myanmar has the necessary political will." WION: How were your conversations with the Indian counterpart? Ambassador Masud Bin Momen: We had a very fruitful discussion with Indian foreign secretary Harsh Shringla and earlier he visited Bangladesh and had a brief conversation with him. This is more of a regular contact at the foreign secretary-level. We discussed a lot of issues, but the meeting was also about the visit of Indian Prime minister Narendra Modi to Bangladesh to take part in Independence Day celebrations and also 50th anniversary of ties. This year is very important for us, this year we are celebrating Mujib Barsho, the 100th birth centenary of our father of the nation Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, silver jubilee of our Independence, and the establishment of ties. India was one of the first countries to recognize Bangladesh, on 6th December. So we like to have year-long programs, it will start with PM Modi's visit to Bangladesh, but it will not be a one of thing. Throughout the year we will have joint programmes, in Delhi, In Bangladesh and also in other parts of the world--jointly by our high commissions. So that was something, we shared a tentative programme with my counterpart with PM Modi's proposed visit. We would like to make it a special one. Other than that, we discussed trade and commerce issues, connectivity issues, water issues, border management issues, so we have so many mechanisms between Bangladesh and India. We have, from time to time kept track and coordinated and integrated so that we have results from these interactions. Very soon we will have a home secretary-level meeting, water secretary-level meetings, all these before PM's visit. So hopefully, we will have more concrete developments to report. During PM's visit, we are identifying a few deliverables which would be important for both the countries, mostly connectivity related issues also symbolic. We have Swadhinata Sarak road between the first place where our govt in exile was sworn in, its in Meherpur. A small patch has been prepared before the summit. WION: How do you see India's covid vaccine diplomacy? Ambassador Masud Bin Momen: From early days we are cooperating, and PM Modi convened the SAARC summit level meet digitally to discuss covid cooperation and time to time we have received valuable supplies. Now we have a new chapter of vaccine cooperation and India has made available not only to Bangladesh but also to other Neighbours, as part of the Neighbourhood first policy of India and we are deeply appreciative of this. 2 million vaccines India has made available to Bangladesh. The administering of which has already begun in Dhaka but will also spread to other cities. We have also purchased 30 million from Serum Institute and some of it has already arrived and we are expecting rest of it to come in phases so that sequencing is done in a manner so that the first shots, 2nd shot get in time. Also, the shelf life of this vaccine has to be taken into consideration. The next stage is India's own Bharat biotech. they have also offered Bangladesh to have some 3rd stage of human trial which is under process in Bangladesh. We are also looking at co-production. Some of our pharma companies, they are capable to handle production as well. Thereby joint initiative can help us and help out other countries in Africa, Latin America. As far as Bangladesh is concerned, we are happy to start vaccination in Bangladesh. India, Bangladesh, Nepal the prevalence of covid is coming down, that is good news. May be by march or April we will win over the crisis if new strain doesn't come. WION: Bangladesh-India Ties going through "golden age", but how do you see ties between Bangladesh and China? Ambassador Masud Bin Momen: Our ties with Bejing are mostly economic and we import from China billions of dollars of worth of goods, which is true for many countries. India used to import from China but during COVID, we have seen interruption of supply chain and it has given us the realisation that countries in the neighbourhood should cooperate more, in terms of helping each other, enhancing trade relations. thereby, China is helping us economically and we have some big projects which are currently done through Chinese contractors. therefore, I don't see, our relations with China should have any serious implications for our very deep and historic relationship with India. We should not compare the two. WION: If you can update us on the Rohingya crisis? Ambassador Masud Bin Momen: This is a major problem for us. You have seen it personally, both in Cox's Bazar and now we are relocating some of them in Bhashan char island. This is a temporary solution because Bangladesh landmass size is a very small country. 1.1 million Rohingya in a small place like Cox's Bazar fraught with all sorts of challenges and risks. We would like to see the early resolution of the crisis and only permanent solution is if these people can go back from where they came, that is the Rakhine province of Myanmar. We have restarted our discussion with Myanmar with the help of China though a trilateral arrangement. We are hopeful, maybe by the second quarter of this year, we can start repatriation, maybe in small batches. It should start and it can start provided Myanmar has the necessary political will. Once these people are identified, verified and ready to cross over to Myanmar, India and countries like Japan, who have good relations with Myanmar can really help. I raised the issue with my counterpart and also EAM Jaishankar, they promised, they already working towards that and when the time comes, they will be more active, especially, another side of the border to ensure safety security and ensure the sustainable livelihood of these people. In other words to give, them more confidence in going back.

Bangladesh foreign secretary says ties with India 'deep and historic'; lauds New Delhi's vaccine diplomacy

At the meet on covid management led by India, Prime Minister Modi's proposals for visa regime for doctors, air ambulance pact has got support from all the participating countries including Pakistan. Indian initiative involved 10 countries in all--Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Mauritius, Nepal, Pakistan, Seychelles, and Sri Lanka.

Seven of these, barring&nbsp;Mauritius and&nbsp;Seychelles are members of the SAARC grouping.

Indian Prime Minister had made five&nbsp;proposals in all. He said, "Can we consider creating a special visa scheme for our doctors and nurses, so that they can travel quickly within our region during health emergencies, on the request of the receiving country? Can our Civil Aviation ministries coordinate a regional Air Ambulance agreement for medical contingencies?".&nbsp;

The other three&nbsp;he pointed out, saying, "Can we create a regional platform for collating, compiling and studying data about the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines among our populations? Can we similarly create a regional network for promoting technology-assisted epidemiology, for preventing future pandemics? And, Beyond COVID-19, can we also share our successful public health policies and schemes?"

The proposals will be taken for a "structured discussion" for regional cooperation. The meet was a workshop on sharing best practices and took place at the level of Health Secretaries. Pakistan, which participated under SAARC umbrella, was represented by Special Assistant to Pak Prime Minister (SAPM) on health Faisal Sultan.

A source said, "All agreed that there was a need for such cooperation on a regional basis for fighting such pandemics."

All countries, barring of course Pakistan lauded India for sending covid vaccines. Pakistan did not request any India-made vaccine. This year, India gifted COVID&nbsp;vaccines to countries in the region. These are Bangladesh with 20 Lakhs doses, Myanmar with 17 Lakhs doses, Nepal with 10 Lakhs, Bhutan with 1.5 Lakhs, the Maldives with 1 Lakh, Mauritius with 1 Lakh, Seychelles with 50000, Sri Lanka with 5 Lakhs, and Afghanistan 5 Lakhs.

In March of Last year, the Indian Prime Minister called for a SAARC meet on the COVID pandemic. One of the key outcomes of the meet was the establishment of the SAARC emergency fund, with India contributing $10 million to it.

At the meet on covid management led by India, Prime Minister Modi's proposals for visa regime for doctors, air ambulance pact has got support from all the participating countries including Pakistan.

At the meet on covid management led by India, Prime Minister Modi's proposals for visa regime for doctors, air ambulance pact has got support from all the participating countries including Pakistan. Indian initiative involved 10 countries in all--Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Mauritius, Nepal, Pakistan, Seychelles, and Sri Lanka. Seven of these, barring Mauritius and Seychelles are members of the SAARC grouping. Indian Prime Minister had made five proposals in all. He said, "Can we consider creating a special visa scheme for our doctors and nurses, so that they can travel quickly within our region during health emergencies, on the request of the receiving country? Can our Civil Aviation ministries coordinate a regional Air Ambulance agreement for medical contingencies?". The other three he pointed out, saying, "Can we create a regional platform for collating, compiling and studying data about the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines among our populations? Can we similarly create a regional network for promoting technology-assisted epidemiology, for preventing future pandemics? And, Beyond COVID-19, can we also share our successful public health policies and schemes?" The proposals will be taken for a "structured discussion" for regional cooperation. The meet was a workshop on sharing best practices and took place at the level of Health Secretaries. Pakistan, which participated under SAARC umbrella, was represented by Special Assistant to Pak Prime Minister (SAPM) on health Faisal Sultan. A source said, "All agreed that there was a need for such cooperation on a regional basis for fighting such pandemics." All countries, barring of course Pakistan lauded India for sending covid vaccines. Pakistan did not request any India-made vaccine. This year, India gifted COVID vaccines to countries in the region. These are Bangladesh with 20 Lakhs doses, Myanmar with 17 Lakhs doses, Nepal with 10 Lakhs, Bhutan with 1.5 Lakhs, the Maldives with 1 Lakh, Mauritius with 1 Lakh, Seychelles with 50000, Sri Lanka with 5 Lakhs, and Afghanistan 5 Lakhs. In March of Last year, the Indian Prime Minister called for a SAARC meet on the COVID pandemic. One of the key outcomes of the meet was the establishment of the SAARC emergency fund, with India contributing $10 million to it.

PM's proposal for visa regime for docs, air ambulance pact get support by Pak, other countries

Beneficiaries of the nationwide COVID-19 immunisation drive began receiving second dose with over 7,000 healthcare workers getting the jab on Saturday, 28 days after their first shot on the inaugural day.

The Union Health Ministry said the cumulative number of healthcare and frontline workers vaccinated against coronavirus in the country surpassed 80 lakh on Saturday.

It said 80,52,454 beneficiaries have been vaccinated through 1,69,215 sessions, according to the provisional report till Saturday 6 pm. These include 59,35,275 healthcare workers and 21,17,179 frontline workers.

"The second dose of COVID-19 vaccination started from today&nbsp;for those beneficiaries who have completed 28 days after receipt of the first dose. The approval provided by DCGI accords a window of four to six weeks for the second dose. As many as 7,668 healthcare workers received the second dose of vaccine today," the ministry said.

On Saturday, 84,807 beneficiaries were inoculated till 6 pm, the 29th day of nationwide COVID-19 vaccination as per provisional data. As many as 4,434 sessions were organised on Saturday till 6 pm, the ministry said.

Thirty-four states and Union Territories conducted COVID-19 vaccinations on Saturday.

Twelve states UTs have vaccinated more than 70 per cent of the registered heathcare workers. These are -- Bihar, Lakshadweep, Tripura, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Kerala, Rajasthan, Mizoram and Sikkim.

On the other hand, seven states and UTs have reported less than 40 per cent coverage of registered healthcare workers. These are Meghalaya, Punjab, Manipur, Tamil Nadu, Chandigarh, Nagaland and Puducherry.

Ten states that recorded the highest number of vaccinations are Jammu and Kashmir, West Bengal, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Bihar, Uttarakhand, Tripura and Delhi.

Total 34 people have so far been hospitalised after being administered COVID-19 vaccine. It comprises 0.0004 per cent of the total vaccinations.

Of these cases of hospitalisation, 21 were discharged after treatment, while 11 died and two are under treatment, the health ministry said. 
In the last 24 hours, no person has been hospitalized, it stated.

"Total 27 deaths have been recorded till date. These comprise 0.0003 per cent of the total vaccinations. Of these, 11 died in the hospital while 16 fatalities were recorded outside the hospital.

"No case of serious/severe adverse effect after immunisation or death is attributable to vaccination till date," the health ministry said.

In the last 24 hours, three new deaths have been reported.

A 38-year-old person of Harda in Madhya Pradesh died due to myocardial infarction nine days after vaccination. Another is a 35-year-old resident of Panipat in Haryana who suffered from pneumonia with acute respiratory distress syndrome and died eight days after vaccination.

A 58-year-old resident of Dausa in Rajasthan, who had received vaccine, collapsed on duty and was brought dead to a hospital. Post-mortem details of all are awaited.

Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan reviewed in detail the status and progress of COVID-19 vaccination drive and urged all states and Union Territories to adhere to timelines for covering all healthcare and frontline workers with first dose of vaccines and schedule their mop-up rounds.

The standard operating procedure for second dose scheduling on Co-WIN software have been shared with states and Union Territories.

In a letter to all states and UTs, Bhushan pointed out that according to the rapid assessment system only 88.9 per cent beneficiaries have indicated that they were provided information regarding adverse event following immunization (AEFI) at the session site.

The states and UTs have been advised to ensure that all vaccination officers are trained and informed regarding AEFI and they should provide such information to all beneficiaries.

In order to strengthen surveillance following COVID-19 vaccination, the Union health secretary has also urged states and UTs to ensure that AEFI committees at the state and district levels meet regularly to oversee the overall performance of AEFI Surveillance System.&nbsp;

Beneficiaries of the nationwide COVID-19 immunisation drive began receiving second dose with over 7,000 healthcare workers getting the jab on Saturday, 28 days after their first shot on the inaugural day.

Beneficiaries of the nationwide COVID-19 immunisation drive began receiving second dose with over 7,000 healthcare workers getting the jab on Saturday, 28 days after their first shot on the inaugural day. The Union Health Ministry said the cumulative number of healthcare and frontline workers vaccinated against coronavirus in the country surpassed 80 lakh on Saturday. It said 80,52,454 beneficiaries have been vaccinated through 1,69,215 sessions, according to the provisional report till Saturday 6 pm. These include 59,35,275 healthcare workers and 21,17,179 frontline workers. "The second dose of COVID-19 vaccination started from today for those beneficiaries who have completed 28 days after receipt of the first dose. The approval provided by DCGI accords a window of four to six weeks for the second dose. As many as 7,668 healthcare workers received the second dose of vaccine today," the ministry said. On Saturday, 84,807 beneficiaries were inoculated till 6 pm, the 29th day of nationwide COVID-19 vaccination as per provisional data. As many as 4,434 sessions were organised on Saturday till 6 pm, the ministry said. Thirty-four states and Union Territories conducted COVID-19 vaccinations on Saturday. Twelve states UTs have vaccinated more than 70 per cent of the registered heathcare workers. These are -- Bihar, Lakshadweep, Tripura, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Kerala, Rajasthan, Mizoram and Sikkim. On the other hand, seven states and UTs have reported less than 40 per cent coverage of registered healthcare workers. These are Meghalaya, Punjab, Manipur, Tamil Nadu, Chandigarh, Nagaland and Puducherry. Ten states that recorded the highest number of vaccinations are Jammu and Kashmir, West Bengal, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Bihar, Uttarakhand, Tripura and Delhi. Total 34 people have so far been hospitalised after being administered COVID-19 vaccine. It comprises 0.0004 per cent of the total vaccinations. Of these cases of hospitalisation, 21 were discharged after treatment, while 11 died and two are under treatment, the health ministry said. In the last 24 hours, no person has been hospitalized, it stated. "Total 27 deaths have been recorded till date. These comprise 0.0003 per cent of the total vaccinations. Of these, 11 died in the hospital while 16 fatalities were recorded outside the hospital. "No case of serious/severe adverse effect after immunisation or death is attributable to vaccination till date," the health ministry said. In the last 24 hours, three new deaths have been reported. A 38-year-old person of Harda in Madhya Pradesh died due to myocardial infarction nine days after vaccination. Another is a 35-year-old resident of Panipat in Haryana who suffered from pneumonia with acute respiratory distress syndrome and died eight days after vaccination. A 58-year-old resident of Dausa in Rajasthan, who had received vaccine, collapsed on duty and was brought dead to a hospital. Post-mortem details of all are awaited. Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan reviewed in detail the status and progress of COVID-19 vaccination drive and urged all states and Union Territories to adhere to timelines for covering all healthcare and frontline workers with first dose of vaccines and schedule their mop-up rounds. The standard operating procedure for second dose scheduling on Co-WIN software have been shared with states and Union Territories. In a letter to all states and UTs, Bhushan pointed out that according to the rapid assessment system only 88.9 per cent beneficiaries have indicated that they were provided information regarding adverse event following immunization (AEFI) at the session site. The states and UTs have been advised to ensure that all vaccination officers are trained and informed regarding AEFI and they should provide such information to all beneficiaries. In order to strengthen surveillance following COVID-19 vaccination, the Union health secretary has also urged states and UTs to ensure that AEFI committees at the state and district levels meet regularly to oversee the overall performance of AEFI Surveillance System.

COVID vaccination drive: Over 7,000 get second dose, total 80 lakh vaccinated so far

India has so far supplied COVID-19 vaccine to 15 countries and another 25 nations are in the queue at different levels for the jab, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said here on Saturday.

He said there are three categories of countries which are keen to get the vaccine from India- poor, price-sensitive nations and other countries which directly deal with pharmaceutical companies that make the antidote.

"I think right now we have already supplied to about 15 countries (as per my recollection).

I would say there would be another about 25 countries which are at different stages in the pipeline. But what it has done is today it has put India on the map of the world," Jaishankar told reporters in a press conference.

The minister said some poor countries are being supplied the vaccine on a grant basis while some nations wanted it on par with the price that the Indian Government pays to the vaccine makers.

Some countries have direct contracts with the Indian vaccine producing companies and have negotiated commercially, he said.

The Centre has already given the nod for two COVID-19 vaccines--Covaxin of city-based Bharat Biotech and Covishield of Oxford, being manufactured by Serum Institute of India in Pune, which are being administered to frontline workers from January 16, under Emergency Use Authorisation.

Drugmaker Dr Reddys recently said it will approach the Drug Regulator for the EUA for Russian vaccine Sputnik V in March.

Jaishankar said Prime Minister Narendra Modis idea was to establish the country as the "Pharmacy of the World", taking advantage of the domestic capabilities and the way India emerged as IT leader during the Y2K issue.

India has so far supplied COVID-19 vaccine to 15 countries and another 25 nations are in the queue at different levels for the jab, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said here on Saturday.

India has so far supplied COVID-19 vaccine to 15 countries and another 25 nations are in the queue at different levels for the jab, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said here on Saturday. He said there are three categories of countries which are keen to get the vaccine from India- poor, price-sensitive nations and other countries which directly deal with pharmaceutical companies that make the antidote. "I think right now we have already supplied to about 15 countries (as per my recollection). I would say there would be another about 25 countries which are at different stages in the pipeline. But what it has done is today it has put India on the map of the world," Jaishankar told reporters in a press conference. The minister said some poor countries are being supplied the vaccine on a grant basis while some nations wanted it on par with the price that the Indian Government pays to the vaccine makers. Some countries have direct contracts with the Indian vaccine producing companies and have negotiated commercially, he said. The Centre has already given the nod for two COVID-19 vaccines--Covaxin of city-based Bharat Biotech and Covishield of Oxford, being manufactured by Serum Institute of India in Pune, which are being administered to frontline workers from January 16, under Emergency Use Authorisation. Drugmaker Dr Reddys recently said it will approach the Drug Regulator for the EUA for Russian vaccine Sputnik V in March. Jaishankar said Prime Minister Narendra Modis idea was to establish the country as the "Pharmacy of the World", taking advantage of the domestic capabilities and the way India emerged as IT leader during the Y2K issue.

25 countries in queue for 'Made in India' COVID-19 vaccine: Jaishankar

The Brazilian government on Wednesday said that it was negotiating with countries including India to buy 30 million doses of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus-vaccine">coronavirus vaccines</a>.&nbsp;

The announcement comes after Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro thanked Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and India for exporting vaccines to Brazil.&nbsp;

Watch |&nbsp;

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India has earlier provided 2 million doses of Oxford/AstraZeneca's Covishield vaccine, manufactured by Serum Institute of India, to Brazil.&nbsp;

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/with-a-hanuman-image-brazil-president-bolsonaro-thanks-pm-modi-for-covid-vaccines-358644">With a Hanuman image, Brazil President Bolsonaro thanks PM Modi for COVID vaccines</a>

Until now, only Oxford/AstraZeneca's and China's CoronaVac have been given approval in the country.

But, the Brazilian health ministry said on Wednesday that it is meeting Indian and Russian representatives on Wednesday to secure a deal to grant emergency authorisation to Russia's Sputnik V and India's Covaxin.&nbsp;

The deal would provide Brazil 10 million doses of Sputnik V vaccine and 20 million shots of Covaxin and will be delivered in February and March.

Brazil is the second-worst-hit country from the novel coronavirus with over 226,000 deaths.&nbsp;

Medical journal The Lancet this week published results of Sputnik V saying the vaccine has an efficacy of 91.6 per cent and is safe to use.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, India is continuing its 'vaccine diplomacy' by providing million of Covid-19 shots to neighbouring nations like Bhutan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Maldives, among others.&nbsp;

'Made in India' vaccines have also reached countries like Kuwait, Egypt, Oman, and Algeria.&nbsp;

India is one of the biggest vaccine manufacturers in the world and several nations have approached India for Covid-19 shots to battle the deadly virus that has wreaked havoc across the world.&nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

The Brazilian government on Wednesday said that it was negotiating with countries including India to buy 30 million doses of coronavirus vaccines. The announcement comes after Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro thanked Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and India for exporting vaccines to Brazil.

The Brazilian government on Wednesday said that it was negotiating with countries including India to buy 30 million doses of coronavirus vaccines. The announcement comes after Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro thanked Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and India for exporting vaccines to Brazil. Watch | India has earlier provided 2 million doses of Oxford/AstraZeneca's Covishield vaccine, manufactured by Serum Institute of India, to Brazil. Also read | With a Hanuman image, Brazil President Bolsonaro thanks PM Modi for COVID vaccines Until now, only Oxford/AstraZeneca's and China's CoronaVac have been given approval in the country. But, the Brazilian health ministry said on Wednesday that it is meeting Indian and Russian representatives on Wednesday to secure a deal to grant emergency authorisation to Russia's Sputnik V and India's Covaxin. The deal would provide Brazil 10 million doses of Sputnik V vaccine and 20 million shots of Covaxin and will be delivered in February and March. Brazil is the second-worst-hit country from the novel coronavirus with over 226,000 deaths. Medical journal The Lancet this week published results of Sputnik V saying the vaccine has an efficacy of 91.6 per cent and is safe to use. Meanwhile, India is continuing its 'vaccine diplomacy' by providing million of Covid-19 shots to neighbouring nations like Bhutan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Maldives, among others. 'Made in India' vaccines have also reached countries like Kuwait, Egypt, Oman, and Algeria. India is one of the biggest vaccine manufacturers in the world and several nations have approached India for Covid-19 shots to battle the deadly virus that has wreaked havoc across the world.

Brazil seeks to buy 30 million Covid-19 shots, including ones by India's Covaxin

The Union Health Ministry said on Sunday&nbsp;that over 1.5 million people have&nbsp;been administered Covid-19 vaccines across the country so far.

The figures have come out of 27,776 sessions held since the massive inoculation drive started across the country on January 16, it added.

Prime Minister Narendra&nbsp;Modi&nbsp;said on Friday India was completely self-reliant on coronavirus vaccine supplies&nbsp;as the world's second-most populous country inoculated more than 1 million people within a week of starting its campaign.

India's Covid-19 vaccination drive,&nbsp;what the government calls the world's biggest vaccination programme, started with&nbsp;two shots made locally: one licensed from Oxford University and AstraZeneca Plc, and another developed at home by Bharat Biotech in partnership with the state-run Indian Council of Medical Research.

India, known as the pharmaceutical capital of the world, has gifted vaccines to neighbours and partners such as Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Seychelles, Mauritius and the Maldives. It also started&nbsp;commercial shipments to Brazil and Morocco on Friday.

India's own vaccination drive kicked off with 30 million healthcare and other frontline workers first in the queue, followed by about 270 million people older than 50 or deemed at high-risk because of pre-existing medical conditions.

The health ministry said India inoculated more people on its first day than the United States, Britain or France. Still, it has been urging more frontline workers to come forward to take the shots as only a handful of states have been able to meet their daily targets.

Bharat Biotech said on Friday that 13,000 people participating in the late-stage trial of its COVAXIN had been given the second dose, which could help it soon get some idea about its efficacy. It began the late trial in November, completing the registration of a total 25,800 participants by early January.

In the coming months, India is expected to approve two more vaccines, Russia's Sputnik V and Cadila Healthcare's ZyCov-D.

&nbsp;

The Union Health Ministry said on Sunday that over 1.5 million people have been administered Covid-19 vaccines across the country so far. The figures have come out of 27,776 sessions held since the massive inoculation drive started across the country on January 16, it added.

The Union Health Ministry said on Sunday that over 1.5 million people have been administered Covid-19 vaccines across the country so far. The figures have come out of 27,776 sessions held since the massive inoculation drive started across the country on January 16, it added. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday India was completely self-reliant on coronavirus vaccine supplies as the world's second-most populous country inoculated more than 1 million people within a week of starting its campaign. India's Covid-19 vaccination drive, what the government calls the world's biggest vaccination programme, started with two shots made locally: one licensed from Oxford University and AstraZeneca Plc, and another developed at home by Bharat Biotech in partnership with the state-run Indian Council of Medical Research. India, known as the pharmaceutical capital of the world, has gifted vaccines to neighbours and partners such as Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Seychelles, Mauritius and the Maldives. It also started commercial shipments to Brazil and Morocco on Friday. India's own vaccination drive kicked off with 30 million healthcare and other frontline workers first in the queue, followed by about 270 million people older than 50 or deemed at high-risk because of pre-existing medical conditions. The health ministry said India inoculated more people on its first day than the United States, Britain or France. Still, it has been urging more frontline workers to come forward to take the shots as only a handful of states have been able to meet their daily targets. Bharat Biotech said on Friday that 13,000 people participating in the late-stage trial of its COVAXIN had been given the second dose, which could help it soon get some idea about its efficacy. It began the late trial in November, completing the registration of a total 25,800 participants by early January. In the coming months, India is expected to approve two more vaccines, Russia's Sputnik V and Cadila Healthcare's ZyCov-D.

Over 1.5 million vaccinated in inoculation drive, says Health Ministry

India's Bharat Biotech submitted on Thursday an application for the emergency use of its COVID-19 vaccines in the Philippines, Food and Drug Administration chief Rolando Enrique Domingo said.

If allowed to go ahead, this would be the first trial of any coronavirus vaccine in Bangladesh and could give the densely-populated country of more than 160 million faster access to the shot for mass use.

The vaccine, developed with the Indian Council of Medical Research, was given the green light for restricted use in India this month without any efficacy data.

"We have received their proposal. The committee will review it," Mahmood-uz-Jahan, a director at the state-run Bangladesh Medical Research Council, told Reuters, declining to give details.

The Dhaka-based International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR,B), has applied to run the trial on behalf of Bharat Biotech, said a source with direct knowledge of the matter who declined to be named citing internal rules.

ICDDR,B declined to comment. Spokespeople for Bharat Biotech had no immediate comment.

Sinovac Biotech's late-stage trial of a potential vaccine in Bangladesh has become uncertain after Dhaka refused to meet the Chinese company’s demand for co-funding.

Bharat Biotech started a late-stage trial for COVAXIN at home in November and a top Indian government vaccine official, Vinod Kumar Paul, has told Reuters that a smaller study involving 1,000-2,000 people could also be done in Bangladesh.

Bangladesh will from Thursday start receiving millions of India-made doses of another vaccine licensed from Oxford University and AstraZeneca. It is being mass produced by the Serum Institute of India, the world's largest vaccine maker.

Bangladesh, however, has no immediate plans to buy COVAXIN whose efficacy data from the late India trial are expected by March.

"Our vaccine procurement is in good shape. We are going to start the vaccination in the first week of February," Bangladesh Health Secretary Abdul Mannan told Reuters.

"No plan to buy from Bharat Biotech at present."

Brazil is the only country that has publicly announced plans to buy COVAXIN doses from India.

India's Bharat Biotech submitted on Thursday an application for the emergency use of its COVID-19 vaccines in the Philippines, Food and Drug Administration chief Rolando Enrique Domingo said.

India's Bharat Biotech submitted on Thursday an application for the emergency use of its COVID-19 vaccines in the Philippines, Food and Drug Administration chief Rolando Enrique Domingo said. If allowed to go ahead, this would be the first trial of any coronavirus vaccine in Bangladesh and could give the densely-populated country of more than 160 million faster access to the shot for mass use. The vaccine, developed with the Indian Council of Medical Research, was given the green light for restricted use in India this month without any efficacy data. "We have received their proposal. The committee will review it," Mahmood-uz-Jahan, a director at the state-run Bangladesh Medical Research Council, told Reuters, declining to give details. The Dhaka-based International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR,B), has applied to run the trial on behalf of Bharat Biotech, said a source with direct knowledge of the matter who declined to be named citing internal rules. ICDDR,B declined to comment. Spokespeople for Bharat Biotech had no immediate comment. Sinovac Biotech's late-stage trial of a potential vaccine in Bangladesh has become uncertain after Dhaka refused to meet the Chinese company’s demand for co-funding. Bharat Biotech started a late-stage trial for COVAXIN at home in November and a top Indian government vaccine official, Vinod Kumar Paul, has told Reuters that a smaller study involving 1,000-2,000 people could also be done in Bangladesh. Bangladesh will from Thursday start receiving millions of India-made doses of another vaccine licensed from Oxford University and AstraZeneca. It is being mass produced by the Serum Institute of India, the world's largest vaccine maker. Bangladesh, however, has no immediate plans to buy COVAXIN whose efficacy data from the late India trial are expected by March. "Our vaccine procurement is in good shape. We are going to start the vaccination in the first week of February," Bangladesh Health Secretary Abdul Mannan told Reuters. "No plan to buy from Bharat Biotech at present." Brazil is the only country that has publicly announced plans to buy COVAXIN doses from India.

India's Bharat Biotech seeks emergency use approval for vaccine in Philippines

Several neighbouring countries praised India as the country starts giving millions of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus-vaccine">coronavirus vaccines</a>&nbsp;to South Asian nations, a move that also counters China's dominance in the region.&nbsp;

In Maldives, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Nepal, free shipments of Covid-19 vaccines of Oxford-AstraZeneca, manufactured by the Serum Institute of India, the world's biggest producer of vaccines, have started arriving.&nbsp;

Watch&nbsp;|

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/india-gifts-covid-19-vaccine-doses-to-its-neighbours-358367/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Soon, Myanmar and Seychelles will also receive coronavirus jabs as India pushes ahead with vaccine diplomacy.&nbsp;

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/pm-narendra-modi-to-receive-coronavirus-jab-in-second-phase-reports-358347">PM Narendra Modi to receive coronavirus jab in second phase: Reports</a>

"The government of India has shown goodwill by providing the vaccine in grant. This is at the people's level, it is the public who are suffering the most from COVID-19," Nepal's Minister for Health and Population Hridayesh Tripathi was quoted as saying by news agency Reuters.&nbsp;

India has started providing vaccines to its Himalayan neighbour Nepal despite strained ties that have worsened post-Nepal's inclusion of Indian territories in its map.&nbsp;

New Delhi on Thursday officially handed over 2 million doses of Covid-19 jabs to Bangladesh as a gift.&nbsp;

"India had stood by Bangladesh during the (1971) Liberation War, and today, when the pandemic is rattling the world, India again came with gifts of vaccines," Bangladesh foreign minister Dr AK Abdul Momen was reported as saying by news agency PTI.&nbsp;

Earlier, Bangladesh was supposed to get 110,000 doses of vaccine free from Chinese firm Sinovac Biotech, but the country rejected to bear the development cost causing a deadlock.&nbsp;

A government source told Reuters that India is mulling over providing about 12 million to 20 million shots to its neighbours in the first wave of assistance in the next three to four weeks.&nbsp;

India is also helping some of these countries by providing them training to administer vaccines and setting up facilities to help in the rollout, the source added.&nbsp;

Several neighbouring countries praised India as the country starts giving millions of coronavirus vaccines to South Asian nations, a move that also counters China's dominance in the region.

Several neighbouring countries praised India as the country starts giving millions of coronavirus vaccines to South Asian nations, a move that also counters China's dominance in the region. In Maldives, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Nepal, free shipments of Covid-19 vaccines of Oxford-AstraZeneca, manufactured by the Serum Institute of India, the world's biggest producer of vaccines, have started arriving. Watch | Soon, Myanmar and Seychelles will also receive coronavirus jabs as India pushes ahead with vaccine diplomacy. Also read | PM Narendra Modi to receive coronavirus jab in second phase: Reports "The government of India has shown goodwill by providing the vaccine in grant. This is at the people's level, it is the public who are suffering the most from COVID-19," Nepal's Minister for Health and Population Hridayesh Tripathi was quoted as saying by news agency Reuters. India has started providing vaccines to its Himalayan neighbour Nepal despite strained ties that have worsened post-Nepal's inclusion of Indian territories in its map. New Delhi on Thursday officially handed over 2 million doses of Covid-19 jabs to Bangladesh as a gift. "India had stood by Bangladesh during the (1971) Liberation War, and today, when the pandemic is rattling the world, India again came with gifts of vaccines," Bangladesh foreign minister Dr AK Abdul Momen was reported as saying by news agency PTI. Earlier, Bangladesh was supposed to get 110,000 doses of vaccine free from Chinese firm Sinovac Biotech, but the country rejected to bear the development cost causing a deadlock. A government source told Reuters that India is mulling over providing about 12 million to 20 million shots to its neighbours in the first wave of assistance in the next three to four weeks. India is also helping some of these countries by providing them training to administer vaccines and setting up facilities to help in the rollout, the source added.

India's vaccine diplomacy earns praise from South Asian neighbours as Chinese dominance declines

India on Wednesday starts the supply of its coronavirus vaccines to six nations in which Bhutan and Maldives will be the first recipients under its neighbourhood first policy as a ''goodwill gesture''.

The step will pave&nbsp;the way for many mid-and lower-income countries to get supplies of the easy-to-store Oxford/AstraZeneca drug, of which it said it plans to ship millions of doses within days.

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India is deeply honoured to be a long-trusted partner in meeting the healthcare needs of the global community. Supplies of Covid vaccines to several countries will commence tomorrow, and more will follow in the days ahead. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VaccineMaitri?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VaccineMaitri</a> <a href="https://t.co/9Czfkuk8h7">https://t.co/9Czfkuk8h7</a>
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Serum Institute of India (SII), the world's largest vaccine producer said last week&nbsp;it soon expected emergency use authorisation from the World Health Organization (WHO) for that vaccine, which SII has been licensed to make.

The foreign ministry said shipments would start on Wednesday following requests from "neighbouring and key partner countries". Officials said the first doses would go to Bhutan and Maldives.

Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar and Seychelles will also get supplies in this week's first phase, the external affairs ministry said.

The Bangladesh foreign ministry said it expected to receive a gift of two million doses on Thursday. The country of 160 million, which has yet to start its vaccination programme, has ordered a further 30 million doses, officials said.

The vast majority of the production of the three most widely approved COVID vaccines globally has so far been hoovered up by developed nations, raising concerns at the WHO and elsewhere that poorer countries could face a long wait for supplies.

The Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine is widely viewed as their best option because the other two, manufactured by Pfizer/BioNTech and by Moderna, need to be stored at very low temperatures.

WHO emergency authorisation for the Astra-Oxford vaccine would additionally allow SII to begin supplying it to the WHO-backed COVAX initiative aimed at fairly distributing COVID-19 shots across the world.

India, which has the world's second-highest COVID caseload, has said it needs to balance its domestic requirements with international demands.

It began giving shots of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, as well as another developed by Bharat Biotech, to domestic health workers on Saturday.

The country plans to start exporting Bharat Biotech's vaccine at a later stage.

The foreign ministry said Astra-Oxford vaccine supplies to Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Mauritius would begin soon after those countries' regulators cleared the drug.

India on Wednesday starts the supply of its coronavirus vaccines to six nations in which Bhutan and Maldives will be the first recipients under its neighbourhood first policy as a ''goodwill gesture''.

India on Wednesday starts the supply of its coronavirus vaccines to six nations in which Bhutan and Maldives will be the first recipients under its neighbourhood first policy as a ''goodwill gesture''. The step will pave the way for many mid-and lower-income countries to get supplies of the easy-to-store Oxford/AstraZeneca drug, of which it said it plans to ship millions of doses within days. India is deeply honoured to be a long-trusted partner in meeting the healthcare needs of the global community. Supplies of Covid vaccines to several countries will commence tomorrow, and more will follow in the days ahead. #VaccineMaitri https://t.co/9Czfkuk8h7 — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 19, 2021 × Serum Institute of India (SII), the world's largest vaccine producer said last week it soon expected emergency use authorisation from the World Health Organization (WHO) for that vaccine, which SII has been licensed to make. The foreign ministry said shipments would start on Wednesday following requests from "neighbouring and key partner countries". Officials said the first doses would go to Bhutan and Maldives. Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar and Seychelles will also get supplies in this week's first phase, the external affairs ministry said. The Bangladesh foreign ministry said it expected to receive a gift of two million doses on Thursday. The country of 160 million, which has yet to start its vaccination programme, has ordered a further 30 million doses, officials said. The vast majority of the production of the three most widely approved COVID vaccines globally has so far been hoovered up by developed nations, raising concerns at the WHO and elsewhere that poorer countries could face a long wait for supplies. The Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine is widely viewed as their best option because the other two, manufactured by Pfizer/BioNTech and by Moderna, need to be stored at very low temperatures. WHO emergency authorisation for the Astra-Oxford vaccine would additionally allow SII to begin supplying it to the WHO-backed COVAX initiative aimed at fairly distributing COVID-19 shots across the world. India, which has the world's second-highest COVID caseload, has said it needs to balance its domestic requirements with international demands. It began giving shots of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, as well as another developed by Bharat Biotech, to domestic health workers on Saturday. The country plans to start exporting Bharat Biotech's vaccine at a later stage. The foreign ministry said Astra-Oxford vaccine supplies to Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Mauritius would begin soon after those countries' regulators cleared the drug.

'Goodwill gesture': India begins export of coronavirus vaccines to six nations

Myanmar has&nbsp;ordered&nbsp;30 million coronavirus vaccines from India that are expected to be delivered by the end of February.

Zaw Htay, the President Office director-general said that Myanmar chose the vaccine because it can be stored in a temperature between 2 to 8 degrees centigrade that is suitable as per the country's temperature.

Earlier,&nbsp;Myanmar's de-facto leader&nbsp;Aung San Suu Kyi had&nbsp;announced that her country will get the COVID-19&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-to-begin-coronavirus-vaccine-roll-out-in-10-days-government-354599">vaccine</a>&nbsp;from India and that a contract has been signed regarding it.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Myanmar has reported 129,483 coronavirus cases with a death toll of 2,812. The country's government has been communicating with neighbouring countries to acquire COVID-19 vaccines.

Last year the Indian foreign secretary Harsh Shringla and&nbsp;Army Chief MM Naravane&nbsp;had jointly visited the country. The visit saw high-level assurances from India that Myanmar will be a priority when it comes to the vaccine.&nbsp;

India gifted 3000 vials of Anti Covid Remdesivir to State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi as a "symbol" of India‘s commitment to helping Myanmar mitigate the impact of the pandemic.

Myanmar has signed MoU with the Serum Institute of India for Covishield. Over the weekend, India's drug regulator gave approval for its use.

Myanmar has ordered 30 million coronavirus vaccines from India that are expected to be delivered by the end of February. Zaw Htay, the President Office director-general said that Myanmar chose the vaccine because it can be stored in a temperature between 2 to 8 degrees centigrade that is suitable as per the country's temperature.

Myanmar has ordered 30 million coronavirus vaccines from India that are expected to be delivered by the end of February. Zaw Htay, the President Office director-general said that Myanmar chose the vaccine because it can be stored in a temperature between 2 to 8 degrees centigrade that is suitable as per the country's temperature. Earlier, Myanmar's de-facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi had announced that her country will get the COVID-19 vaccine from India and that a contract has been signed regarding it. Myanmar has reported 129,483 coronavirus cases with a death toll of 2,812. The country's government has been communicating with neighbouring countries to acquire COVID-19 vaccines. Last year the Indian foreign secretary Harsh Shringla and Army Chief MM Naravane had jointly visited the country. The visit saw high-level assurances from India that Myanmar will be a priority when it comes to the vaccine. India gifted 3000 vials of Anti Covid Remdesivir to State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi as a "symbol" of India‘s commitment to helping Myanmar mitigate the impact of the pandemic. Myanmar has signed MoU with the Serum Institute of India for Covishield. Over the weekend, India's drug regulator gave approval for its use.

Myanmar orders 30 million coronavirus vaccines from India

Expert panel at Central Drugs Standard Control Organization has recommended emergency use of Covishield (AstraZeneca) vaccine for coronavirus vaccination in India. The panel has recommended AstraZeneca vaccine with certain conditions. The vaccine is being developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University. Serum Institute of India (SII) will manufacture the vaccine.

India: Expert panel recommends use of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine

Vaccine expert committee in India met today. Dry run for coronavirus vaccination in India is on January 2. Watch this video to know more.

India: Dry run for coronavirus vaccination on January 2