New Delhi, March 7 : Underlining the importance of equitable distribution of vaccines, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said on Sunday that India cannot remain safe from Covid-19 if the disease continues to dominate the rest of the world.
The minister asserted that the countries need to curb the tendency of “vaccine nationalism” if they want to eradicate the disease entirely. “India or any other nation cannot remain safe from coronavirus and Covid-19 disease if the rest of the world continues to be at risk of it, which is why it is essential to curb COVID-19 vaccine nationalism,” he stated.
Highlighting the importance of equity-based approach to vaccine distribution, Vardhan said that safety for all cannot be ensured if marginalised nations continue to harbour the virus due to dearth of vaccines.
“If the poor and underdeveloped countries continue to harbour the novel coronavirus, we shall not be able to ensure safety for all. Fair and equitable distribution of the vaccine is the biggest need of the hour,” he stated.
Vardhan also drew a similarity of the current situation with the epidemic of polio. “Children in the entire world need to be vaccinated against poliomyelitis only because Pakistan and Afghanistan failed to eradicate this disease from their respective countries,” he said.
“Similarly, India cannot be safe from coronavirus if the rest of the world continues to remain unsafe from it,” he stressed.
Related stories
Subscribe
- Never miss a story with notifications
- Gain full access to our premium content
- Browse free from up to 5 devices at once
Latest stories