New Delhi, India (CU)_ Pakistan plans to launch its vaccination program against Covid 19 next week, beginning with healthcare professionals receiving free doses of vaccine manufactured in China. Pakistan plans to vaccinate at least 70 per cent of its 220 million population free of charge against Covid 19. Regulators have licensed three candidates for emergency use: The Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, the Sinopharm vaccine made in China, and the Sputnik V vaccine manufactured in Russia. The other CanSino Biologics vaccine made in China is in final clinical trials in Pakistan. So far, the country has reported over 530,000 infections and 11,514 deaths due to Covid 19.
On the other hand, India had already started one of the world’s largest immunization program this month against the Covid 19. India, the vaccine superpower has also started sending millions of free doses to the friendly neighboring countries in a policy known as “vaccine diplomacy”. To note, India manufactures about 60 percent of vaccines worldwide. Unsurprisingly, Pakistan did not receive any vaccines from India. However, China has promised Pakistan to supply 500,000 Sinopharm doses, which is expected to arrive by this weekend. A leading vaccine importer based in Karachi, Usman Ghani of Sindh Medical Stores, said “This is nothing. We will need a lot more vaccines”.
Undoubtedly, Pakistan will try to import doses from all over the world, including through the ambitious scheme of the World Health Organization, Covax, which works to produce, buy and distribute vaccines to more than 180 nations. But there are concerns that, at the expense of the poorer ones, wealthy countries might store up the vaccines. Here’s where India could play a key role in confirming that its neighbors are all supplied with vaccines. Pharmaceutical trade between the two countries has been stable, despite the volatile relationships.
Usman Ghani said nearly 90 per cent of Pakistan’s vaccines come from India. He claimed that in the near future, Pakistan will obtain vaccines from India. He said, “Indian vaccines are world-class, affordable and shipping is easy. India already has got so many vaccine orders from all over the world. We have cordial relations with vaccine makers across the border. We will try our best to get supplies, but it will take time”.
A spokesman for the Indian foreign ministry said that he was not aware of any request made by Pakistan for India-made vaccines. Mr Ghani said, “We will harm ourselves if we don’t cooperate on vaccines”. In the meantime, the Indian government is steaming ahead with its “vaccine diplomacy”. Early free doses of vaccines to Bhutan, the Maldives, Burma, Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar, Seychelles, Sri Lanka and Bahrain have been shipped by India this month. Commercial deliveries to Brazil and Morocco have also started. Foreign Secretary Harsh Shringla said, “There’s huge international demand for our vaccines”.
Many believe that India’s vaccine diplomacy is a counterpoint to the rising Chinese influence. Harsh Pant and Aarshi Tirkey, researchers at Delhi-based think tank Observer Research Foundation (ORF), said, “India’s vaccine diplomacy puts it in direct competition with China – which has made no secret that vaccine distribution is wrapped up in its broader geopolitical ambitions. In fact, it has even explicitly included vaccine distribution in its broader Health Silk Road initiative, which aims to bolster China’s international soft power”.
