US lawmakers urge Biden Administration to partner with India for global vaccine supply

By Reena Bhardwaj

Washington [US], February 8 (ANI): US lawmakers are putting sustained pressure on President Joe Biden administration to ensure global supply and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, following outreach by India. Prominent members of Congress have written to US President Biden urging for the use of Corbevax in the global fight against COVID-19.

The members include Senator John Cornyn, Co-Chair, Senate India Caucus, Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson, Chairwoman of the Science and Technology Committee, Congressman Michael McCaul, Ranking Member of House Foreign Affairs Committee, Congressman Joaquin Castro, Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on International Development, and International Organizations and Congressman Mark Veasey, Member, House Armed Services Committee.

Corbevax is patent-free, affordable and requires lesser logistics including refrigeration and could be a game-changer in the global fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

Separately, Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA), Member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on State-Foreign Operations (this Subcommittee has financial oversight over Department of State and USAID) led a letter to President, co-signed by Chairs of the Black Caucus, Hispanic Caucus and the Asian Pacific American Caucus urging the Administration to invest into the global supply and manufacture of vaccines as well as therapeutics and medical equipment to fight COVID-19.

Earlier the influential Congressional Black Caucus had separately written to the Ambassador on vaccine cooperation and delivery of vaccines to Africa in 2021. The Black Caucus is significant in US politics and was instrumental in President Biden’s victory in last year’s elections.

The embassy had reached out to important Congressional Caucuses which represent over 170 members of the US Congress and include several members of the Senate (Sen. Menendez. The partnership between India and US and the potential for the India–US collaborations to provide affordable vaccines/medicines including to the developing world (Africa & Latin America) were highlighted.

India‘s Ambassador to the US, Taranjit Singh Sandhu has spoken to all the Chairs of the three Caucuses, and they expressed strong support for the collaboration with India for global good. Other important members of the Caucus have also expressed their support for India. Separately the Embassy of India has been in touch with the developers of Corbevax Prof. Peter Hotez and team and BioE in taking forward the collaboration. (ANI)