The Vaccine Diplomacy- Aid or Propaganda?

Introduction

The Vaccine Diplomacy- Aid or Propaganda?: India became one of the only countries to get on the top vaccine contribution in the world with 66 Million doses but only when the virus became fatal in India.  According to the experts, the vaccine was exported in lieu of the professional agreements, if that remains a valid point then was the entire process of vaccination created propaganda to hail just one. Today, We are receiving aid from 40 countries which stand remarkable and were only possible of better ties with the countries but why transparency over certain prospects remain hidden.  We are in a world, where everything is being branded and propagandized as it was never being done, it may be not only in India but these days it’s majorly India. 

The Vaccination Nation, Celebration as a Vacation

Its in the second wave, India has been captured by the deadly virus, when Canada was bringing together vaccines that it could vaccinate 5 times and when America was sitting on one of the best vaccines hoarded for its citizen, India’s priority was initially never towards the same. In fact the goal towards achieving a 5 trillion dollar economy can no where in the world be achieved in cutting the health budgets, envisioning new buildings for a “New India” or getting new planes for the supreme leaders. Some may have their “So called” logical reasons for the New Central Vista and that may be true, (if only the purpose remains to a propaganda). We never denied, some may even have questioned about the project, which after-all is Public Money, but what priority should be the would knows and not this.  

Today, With only 1.97 percent of India being vaccinated so far, a Vaccine celebration is being propagandised to the entire world. People in power claiming to be no shortages of Oxygen in their respective states came out with the most number of fatalities.  The numbers may be that we are vaccinating more people on a daily basis, but the fact is ” only 1.97 percent of Indians are vaccinated”, according to many people it may be not easy to vaccinate entire India at once, but indeed not a celebration.   

At the time, where India was facing and is still facing an Oxygen shortage to some places,  and the vaccine was continued to be short of supply, the only think was given a propriety was “The Central Vista”. The 20k crores project which already is now already 20 percent  more expensive since its inception of the construction project. and god forbid how much more expenses will it take in its ambit is yet to be-seen.  We were busy, in elections, bigger rallies, absolutely no masks and social distancing where on the other hand challans of 10,000 was being talked about.  (Can be Read)

America , with a Population of 32 crores had ordered 130 crore vaccines, Canada had ordered that it could easily vaccinate its citizens 5 times, the questions still remains why not India took initiatives and gave orders ?. Some of your might think that we, also have been hoarding vaccines and may be working hard , thats true , but after a repeated questioning from the opposition and increased in caseloads claiming thousands of lives.  When dead bodies were burnt in piles, having no space, the Indian Ministry continued to say about no shortage of Oxygen, Vaccines or even beds.  

The World & US

On March 13th, Jordan’s health minister had stepped down after death of 6 patients at a hospital, Jordanian Prime Minister Bisher al-Khasawneh had asked for his resignation later to which based on Morality he did over the same. Not Just Jordan, But Mongolia, Argentina, New Zealand, Peru, Poland and Austria even dethroned their Health minister or he/she resigned willingly post miss handling of covid situation. It was later too late, when our Health Minister took responsibility to come and visit the hospitals in order to take over the situation, 

We never, demanded an apology or even his stepping down, but questioning always has been a democratic right. When Amidst of an emergency situation, some of the people recommend, to take a dip at ganga, while some say justify viruses’s right to live. While some, recommending to eat a “Papad” to cure, and some also advice eating dark chocolates to help cure the virus and the worst part is, no one comes to stop these comments and continue to spread miss information. Sending millions of doses to the world was a part of an agreement was not given justification before rather, when the step was propagandised in the favour of the man, later it was said in the media, here the democratic right to question comes in the picture but no one rather would question these things, we probably know about the famous army over social media.

An Article on Central Vista

Its not that, the world has not learned any lessons from India, it did, detailed can be read here

1. To Not Declare Success Early
2. To Be Prepared at All Time
3. To Deal with the actual numbers , and not fake them.

In a situation when Adar had left India, he had blamed the government for the shortage of vaccines. In detail the same can be read on The Quint.   By the way Mucormycosis is creating huge problems, while Mumbai’s decision to treat these patients free of cost , is remarkable. 

Availability a Question but Why ?

    In the Union Budget, our Finance Minister, had proposed a 35000 crore budget for vaccines, later the government asks the state governments to procure them directly, still remains unclear. At the time , when Crude Oil gets cheaper, the petrol became all time high at 103 at some prices , and even around 100 at many. With more than 1 Lakh Crore, record High collections for GST alone and many other collections, including duties and taxes from foreign trade. The fact can not be ignored, about our Finance Minister’s speech, that prices of petrol can not b controlled, which stands justified , but the taxes can be reduced to decrease the load on end consumer.  

According to the experts, as we have already allocated 35000 crores for the vaccines, hence it would not be a problem to vaccinate 100 crore citizens at the cost of 150-200 rupees per person. Is that budget allocated only for the name sake purpose or it will be utilised somewhere ? , the question arises of why were the orders for vaccines not placed globally at an early state, i am talking about the time when America, Canada and other nations and  started to procure vaccines.  We definitely salute the efforts of bringing or thinking about getting vaccines from the world now, but it has again very late, when we have crossed millions of fatalities and increased cases.

The question , in transparency also arises, if Indian scientists as per our Prime Minister had developed and research on the vaccines, then what are those names ? who actually did them ?, if we can celebrate doctors , can also need to celebrate them at-least they done such a big work.  

The Truth Remains

1. The Vaccines were sent as a part of a trade agreement, rest of them were given in aid to other countries including Pakistan.
2. The Global Vaccine branding has been done in a way that, brings only a bunch of major companies who slogged their day and night to develop and research on a Vaccine and has nothing to do with our county. What we are doing with DRDO’s Oral is a truly made in India one , and at some point Bharat BioTech as well. 
3. PM Cares fund is our money and its good to know that its being utilised but its not for anyone to take its utmost ownership but only responsibility.
4. AstraZeneca and Oxford made COVISHEILD on a Public funded project and the Intellectual Property rights for the same are held by AstraZeneca only. The Oxford Vaccine for COVID-19 was designated by Prof. Sarah Gilbert- Can be read here too and COVAXIN^®, India^‘s indigenous COVID-19 vaccine by Bharat Biotech is developed in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) – National Institute of Virology (NIV)
5. Secondly under joint collaboration of who and un under the facility called COVOWAX, SII has committed to supply millions of vaccines which will be provided to 3rd world countries on subsidy, (full or partial) 

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