Made-in-India Covid vaccines in Yemen a 'game changer': UN

Made-in-India Covid-19 vaccines is a game changer and a "milestone" in the fight against the pandemic in Yemen, health officials have said. Yemen  have received 360,000 Covid-19 vaccine doses shipped via the COVAX Facility, a partnership between the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF said in a statement. This first batch is part of 1.9 million doses that Yemen will initially receive throughout 2021.External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had tweeted: “Arrival in Aden. Made in India vaccines land in Yemen,” with the hashtag ‘VaccineMaitri’. UNICEF Representative Philippe Duamelle and WHO Representative Dr Adham Ismail took delivery of the vaccines in Aden.

"The arrival of the Covid-19 vaccine doses is a critical moment for Yemen,” Duamelle said. "As Covid-19 continues to claim lives around the world, Yemen now has the capacity to protect those most at risk, including health workers, so that they can safely continue to provide life-saving interventions for children and families. Vaccines work, vaccines save lives, now let’s start getting people vaccinated,” he added. Spokesman for UN Secretary-General Stephane Dujarric also told reporters during the daily press briefing that Yemen received 360,000 vaccine doses shipped via the COVAX Facility. “These vaccines, licensed and manufactured by the Serum Institute of India, will enable health workers and other vulnerable populations to be protected against the virus,” he said. Nearly 2 million doses are expected for Yemen this year, he said.