India has provided vaccines to 77 countries around the world till 25th March, 2021 or 60.5 million doses of the vaccine which more than the 45 million doses being administered in India.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the “vaccine maitri,” or vaccine friendship, initiative after India began its nationwide vaccination campaign on January 16.

Apart from India, China has administered 100 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. Pakistan has vaccinated approximately 1 million people. In the U.K. 28 million jabs have been administered, (population 68,150,000) 5 million doses in Canada. In the U.S.A. 133 million and 3 million jabs in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. (population 35,250,000)

Some of the notable Countries to which India has provided coronavirus vaccine :-

•Afghanistan

•Bhutan

•Barbados

•Bangladesh

•Bahrain

•Dominica

•Myanmar

•Maldives

•Mauritius

•Nepal

•Oman

•Sri Lanka

Reaction from politicians in India on vaccine supply.

Some poor countries are getting the vaccine on a grant basis and some want it on par with the price that the Indian government pays to the vaccine makers.

Some countries have direct contracts with the Indian vaccine-producing companies and have negotiated commercially, said External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar in one press conference held at Amaravati.

Congress M.P. Sashi Tharoor wrote – As countries scramble to secure supplies in the face of “vaccine apartheid,” India has enhanced its global standing by making vaccines that are readily available in the world’s poorest countries. This effort may one day help India secure recognition as a global power – with a permanent UN Security Council seat to go with it.

Another senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh tweeted – Bharat Biotech is a first-rate enterprise, but it is puzzling that internationally-accepted protocols relating to phase 3 trials are being modified for Covaxin. Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan should clarify.

While C.P.I.(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury said – The announcement about the two vaccine candidates should be accompanied by full disclosure of the minutes of the meetings, information about all the trials and results in order to build confidence in the people. This has been done globally. Our government should do so too.

Indian vaccine giants raise concerns regarding delayed production.

Serum Institute of India (SII) chief executive, Adar Poonawalla, highlighted US export bans on specific items, such as specialised bags and filters needed to make vaccines. He said – “The sharing of these… raw materials is going to become a critical limiting factor — nobody has been able to address this so far,” Serum Institute of India (SII) produces Novavax and AstraZeneca vaccines.

Why has the U.S. banned products during a global pandemic?

Defense Production Act (DPA), legislation from the 1950s gives the president of the USA powers to mobilise the domestic economy in response to emergencies.

DPA allows the US to restrict the export of products which might be needed for domestic manufacturing.

President Biden has asked his administration to identify potential shortages in essential materials required for vaccine production.

The vaccine makers are also sceptical about importing from new sources as they fear the quality of the required material might be degraded.

How many doses of the COVID-19 vaccine does the whole world need to end this pandemic?

In order to end this pandemic at least 70% of the “world population” needs to be vaccinated with required shots of coronavirus vaccine. 

So the 30% will not be affected as there would be no further transmission in the vaccinated 70% of the population.