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OPINION JULY 23, 2021 | The Indian Eye 13

for India in expediting the fight by most developing countries, addressing the public health cri- ing vaccines to the developing
against COVID-19 and future opens up huge space for Chi- sis by producing more vaccines and least-developed countries.
pandemics. na to do its vaccine diplomacy. and distributing them at home; Therefore, India should use all
Finally, a waiver may Here, India should con- economically, by boosting its available means and methods,
strengthen India’s diplomatic vince its Quad partners, par- generic pharmaceutical indus- from trade-offs to pressurising,
soft power. At present, what ticularly Australia and Japan, try, and diplomatically, provid- to make the waiver happen.
hinders India’s Vaccine Mai- who oppose the waiver that
tri initiative is the scarcity of vaccine production in develop- Rajeesh Kumar is Associate Fellow at Manohar Parrikar Institute for
vaccines at home. On the oth- ing countries through TRIPS Defence Studies and Analyses, New Delhi.
er hand, China is increasing its waiver will enable the group- Views expressed are of the author and do not necessarily reflect the
standing in Africa, South Amer- ing to deliver its pledged bil-
ica and the Pacific through vac- lion doses of COVID-19 vac- views of the Manohar Parrikar IDSA or of the Government of India
cine diplomacy. The WHO ap- cine in the Indo-Pacific region. This is the abridged version of the article which appeared first in the
proval of the Chinese vaccines In short, the proposed waiv- Comment section of the website (www.idsa.in) of Manohar Parrikar
and lack of access to vaccines er, if agreed, will help India in Institute for Defense Studies and Analyses, New Delhi on July 21, 2021

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