Stop vaccine nationalism, encourage internationalism: India at UNSC meeting on COVID-19

 India, which has shipped ‘Me In India’ COVID-19 vaccines to around 25 nations, on Wednesday urged international community to stop “vaccine nationalism” and actively encour “internationalism”, underlining that hoarding superfluous doses will defeat global efforts to attain collective health security and combat pandemic.dressing UN Security Council, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar outlined nine points for consideration of international community to help world put COVID-19 pandemic decisively behind it and to emerge more resilient.

“Stop ‘vaccine nationalism’; indeed, actively encour internationalism. Hoarding superfluous doses will defeat our efforts towards attaining collective health security,” he said, speaking at open debate on implementation of resolution 2532 (2020) on cessation of hostilities in context of COVID-19 pandemic.

He also emphasised that disinformation campaigns taking vant of pandemic to vance ir nefarious objectives and activities must be stopped.Jaishankar voiced concern that lack of global coordination regarding vaccine distribution will hit conflict affected areas and poorer countries hardest. He cited International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) estimates that more than 60 million people in such areas are at risk.

India is also concerned over a “glaring disparity” in accessibility of vaccines globally and Jaishankar emphasised that equity in access to vaccines is important for mitigating impact of pandemic.

“This disparity calls for cooperation within framework of COVAX, which is trying to secure equate vaccine doses for world’s poorest nations,” he said.

He furr called for strengning COVAX facility to ensure equitable distribution of vaccines to all countries in a fair and equitable manner.