India at heart of global efforts to produce Covid vaccine
Country plays central role in development, manufacture – and possible distribution – of potential vaccinesCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverage
by Hannah Ellis-Petersen South Asia correspondent
Oct 20, 2020
3 minutes
As the largest global supplier of drugs and producer of 60% of the world’s vaccines, India has long been known as the “pharmacy of the world”.
Now, as the frenzied hunt for a Covid-19 vaccine gathers momentum, the country is playing an increasingly strategic and central role in the development, manufacturing – and, crucially, possible future distribution – of several possible Covid shots.
With more than 7.5 million cases and about 115,000 deaths, India is also one of the worst affected countries by the virus, second only to the US.
A deal
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