Dominican Republic Vice President thanks PM Modi for providing COVID-19 vaccines

Dominican Republic Vice President and Head of the Health Cabinet Raquel Pena on Tuesday lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar for providing 50,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines to help combat the coronavirus pandemic.

"A month ago Dominican Republic received the first shipment of COVID-19 doses from India. We received 50,000 doses from the Serum Institute of India, of which 30,000 were donated from the Government of India. I would like to recognize the virtues of (Prime Minister) Narendra Modi for showing solidarity for a donation of vaccines," Raquel Pena said in a video message.

"I would also like to thank foreign minister S Jaishankar for making this (vaccine donation) possible and help us immunize our health workers and our elderly people," she added.

More than twenty-five nations across the world have already received Made in India vaccines and 49 more countries will be supplied in the coming days, ranging from Europe, Latin America, and the Caribbean to Africa, South-East Asia, and the Pacific Islands.

According to the ministry of external affairs, India started external supplies of Made in India vaccines on 20 January 2021. Supplies are being undertaken in three ways- grant, commercial sales by the manufacturers and through the GAVI's COVAX facility.

External supplies are done factoring in domestic production, requirements of the National Vaccination programme, and requests for the Made in India vaccines. The supplies will continue in weeks and months ahead, in a phased manner, depending on the production and needs of the national vaccination programme.

( With inputs from ANI )