India and UK to collaborate on new virtual hub to distribute vaccines

The visiting Foreign Secretary of United Kingdom, Dominic Raab informed on December 16, 2020 that the experts from the United Kingdom and India will collaborate via a new virtual hub for distributing vaccines for Covid as well as for other deadly viruses.

The Foreign Secretary, Dominic Raab also called on PM Modi on December 16 to discuss the UK and India working together for good as well as launching the new vaccines lab, which will be sharing best practices for clinical trials and regulations and further innovation.

On December 15, Dominic Raab also met the External Affairs Minister, S. Jaishankar, where they both discussed opportunities in post-Corona post-Brexit world for a stronger partnership between India and UK. The Foreign Secretary is on an official visit to India from December 14 to December 17, 2020.

Productive talks with UK Foreign Secretary @DominicRaab today. Discussed opportunities in a post-COVID post-Brexit world for a stronger India-UK partnership. Working on Roadmap 2030 to that end. pic.twitter.com/QT1QZMNn29

— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) December 15, 2020

UK Foreign Secretary meets PM Modi:

The Foreign Secretary of UK, during his visit with PM Modi, signalled his ambition for a closer relationship between the two nations as part of wider UK focus on the partnership sin Indo-Pacific region.

Excellent meeting with @DominicRaab, UK Secretary of State of @FCDOGovUK. Discussed the vast potential of the India-UK partnership in the post-COVID, post-BREXIT world. Looking forward to next month's visit by PM @BorisJohnson as Chief Guest at our Republic Day celebrations. pic.twitter.com/E8cpkqbOJT

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 16, 2020

The leaders also spoke about the 10 year roadmap presenting a new era for India and UK with an ambitious plan for an enhanced trade partnership.

Prime Minister Modi termed the interaction as excellent and added that he looked forward to having UK PM Boris Johnson attend the Republic Day 2021 as the Chief Guest.

Dominic Raab also met the Education Minister, Ramesh Pokhriyal and agreed on working together on mutual recognition of academic qualifications by starting with Master’s degree in 2021.

The foreign secretary also welcomes the signing of new agreement between Gujarat and the University of Edinburgh for opening a new Biotechnology University in state by July 2021. It will mark the first foreign University collaboration of its kind in the country.

Objective of the new hub:

The new virtual hub for distributing vaccines, will enable the Indian and British experts to share the knowledge of regulatory approvals and clinical trials and will get vaccines to the people who need them the most in a secure, safe and energy-efficient way. It will also protect India an UK by enhancing cooperation on the distribution and development of Corona vaccines.

According to Dominic Raab, the pandemic requires a global solution and scientific cooperation has made breakthroughs on Covid vaccines at record-breaking pace. The India-UK vaccine hub will be building on these innovations and will bring this crisis to an end and will also protect all against the future pandemics.

India-UK partnership on Corona vaccine:

While talking about the partnership between the two nations, the Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom stated that the partnership between Serum Institute of India and the Oxford University demonstrates the relationship between the two nations the best.

Today I saw how innovative UK-India collaboration is helping to end #COVID19. The @UniofOxford/@AstraZeneca vaccine developed in the UK is being manufactured @SerumInstIndia
We are bringing our brightest minds together to develop vaccines against COVID-19 and future pandemics. pic.twitter.com/KXoY2g9BYb

— Dominic Raab (@DominicRaab) December 16, 2020

A vaccine has been developed in the United Kingdom and is made in India and has been drawing the brightest minds together for saving lives for global good.

The Serum Institute of India has been poised to make over a billion doses of Corona vaccines that has been developed by the Oxford University and AstraZeneca. It can stored in normal refrigerator temperatures which makes it cheaper and easier to produce, store as well as distribute around the world.

Millions of doses made by the Serum Institute will be distributed to the poorest people of the world through global COVAX initiative, in partnership with WHO and GAVI, the vaccine alliance.

Why India-UK partnership on vaccine is significant?

As India supplies over 50% of the vaccines in the world and 25% of generic drugs of the National health Services (NHS). The closer cooperation between the two nations on medicines and vaccine approvals will ensure the speedy access for the United Kingdom to the pharmaceuticals produced in India and also help in safeguarding the future supplies to NHS.