A top American scientist has said that the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccines by India in collaboration with leading global institutions has rescued the world from the deadly coronavirus and New Delhi’s contributions must not be underestimated. Dr Peter Hotez, Dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston told a webinar that the COVID-19 vaccine rollout is India’s gift to the world in combating the virus.
Dr Hotez is an internationally-recognised physician-scientist in neglected tropical diseases and vaccine development. Dr Hotez said that he felt compelled to make this statement because India’s huge efforts in combating global pandemic is a story that’s not really getting out in the world. The webinar was organised by the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Houston (IACCGH).
India’s drugs regulator gave emergency use authorisation to Covishield, produced by Pune-based Serum Institute of India, and Covaxin, indigenously developed jointly by Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech and Indian Council of Medical Research scientists. Dr Hotez, who is considered the authority on vaccinations, is working on an affordable coronavirus vaccine in collaboration with Indian pharmaceutical companies.
India is called the pharmacy of the world during the COVID-19 pandemic with its vast experience and deep knowledge in medicine. The country is one of the world’s biggest drug-makers and an increasing number of countries have already approached it for procuring coronavirus vaccines.