Following COVID-19, the focus of the Quad’s first-ever Leaders’ Summit, which will be held virtually, will be on increasing India’s Coronavirus vaccine manufacturing capability. According to reports, today’s Quad conference will concentrate on universal vaccines, which will aid in the battle against new virus strains on the horizon.
India will produce Johnson & Johnson’s single dose coronavirus vaccine as part of the Quad group’s initiative. Japan and the United States will fund the campaign, and Tokyo will ship the supplies to Southeast Asian and Pacific nations. Later in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, US President Joe Biden, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, and Japan’s Yoshihide Suga will attend the Quadrilateral Framework’s first meeting.
The “Quad” countries will address security issues around the Indo-Pacific, climate change, and attempts to curb the spread of COVID-19 in the region, according to Australia Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who called it a “historic moment.” “There have been several other gatherings,” he said, “but when governments meet at the highest level, it reveals a whole new level of coordination to establish a new anchor for peace and security in the Indo-Pacific.”
The Johnson & Johnson vaccine was 66 percent successful in reducing moderate-to-severe coronavirus cases, according to the results of a 44,000-person trial. A single dose of the American pharmaceutical company’s vaccine was relatively well received, according to data from an independent performance review board.
According to The Times of India, Japan and the United States will support the Johnson & Johnson vaccine initiative. Meanwhile, Japan will ship the supplies to countries in Southeast Asia and the Pacific. This initiative would “reinforce India’s credentials as a trustworthy, effective producer and provider” of vaccines. India supplies 60% of the world’s vaccines, and the four Quad leaders were supposed to prioritize promoting vaccination rollouts.
According to Reuters, the two countries expect to announce agreements to boost coronavirus vaccine production in India. The group’s goal will be to “reduce production backlogs, pace vaccination, and defeat certain coronavirus mutations,” according to the official.
“The theory is that the more you can vaccinate, the more mutants you’ll be able to defeat. So this is a capability that will be operational later this year, and it will greatly boost our total capacity,” the official told Reuters.
