President Biden Talks with Indian Prime Minister Modi... "Firm Commitment to Support"

"Promise of Emergency Support for Oxygen, Vaccine Materials, and Therapeutics"
10 Million AZ Vaccine Doses to Be Shipped Soon... Attention on Whether They Will Go to India

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] U.S. President Joe Biden promised firm support during a phone call with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, drawing attention to whether the AstraZeneca (AZ) vaccine, expected to be shipped soon from the U.S., will be supplied to India. As the world's first triple-mutant COVID-19 virus was discovered in India, raising concerns that the global COVID-19 situation could worsen again, the U.S. is analyzed to have turned to active support.

On the 26th (local time), the White House emphasized that during the phone call with Prime Minister Modi, President Biden "promised firm support from the U.S." and stated, "The U.S. is providing various emergency supplies including oxygen-related supplies, vaccine materials, and therapeutics." The U.S. State Department also said, "The U.S. government is not delaying support for India," and "We are directly consulting with Indian officials regarding medical supplies, including the shortage of oxygen in India."

The U.S. government's shift from a passive stance on supporting India to promising large-scale aid within a day is interpreted as a response to domestic and international criticism, aware that the worsening COVID-19 situation in India, including the emergence of the triple-mutant virus, could also affect the U.S.

In particular, the U.S. government announced it would release 60 million doses of the AZ vaccine from its stockpile for overseas aid, with 10 million doses expected to be shipped soon, focusing attention on whether these vaccines will be supplied to India. According to AFP, Andy Slavitt, senior advisor to the White House COVID-19 response team, stated on Twitter that "60 million doses of the AZ vaccine will be made available to other countries as soon as they become available." AFP also reported that an anonymous senior U.S. government official said during a virtual briefing with reporters that "10 million doses will be released within weeks once the AZ vaccine passes the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) safety review."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.