Being a leading vaccine manufacturer, India will play a critical role in eradicating COVID-19, billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates has opined. He clearly stated that it would be impossible to contain the ongoing novel coronavirus pandemic without India’s cooperation.
In an interaction with news agency PTI, the Microsoft co-founder hailed India for its ability to produce vaccines in large volumes and said that that the entire world will rely on the south-Asian country for the mass production of COVID-19 vaccine once it is rolled out.
“India is a leading vaccine producer and we will need its cooperation in manufacturing of COVID-19 vaccine. All of us want to get a vaccine out in India as fast as we can, once we know that it’s very effective and very safe, and so the plans are coming into focus that sometime next year, it’s very likely that roll-out will take place and take place in fairly big volume,” he said.
Further, Gates asserted that India’s willingness to supply COVID-19 vaccine to developing nations will be crucial in the overall containment of the pandemic.
“The world is looking to India for some of that capacity to be available to other developing countries. India’s willingness to play a big role in the manufacturing and to allow some of those vaccines to go to other developing countries will be absolutely critical,” Gates added.
As the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has partnered with the Serum Institute of India to accelerate the development of COVID-19 vaccine, Gates is optimistic that India will start to roll out coronavirus vaccine in huge volumes from next year.
“It’s very likely that roll-out of COVID-19 vaccine will take place in fairly big volume in India sometime next year,” the American business magnate said.