India and UK launches Virtual Vaccines Hub

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News: India and the UK Government has launched a Virtual Vaccines Hub. 

Facts: 

• Objective: To distribute vaccines for Covid-19 and other deadly viruses by sharing knowledge on clinical trials and regulatory approvals and get vaccines to people who need them most in a safe, secure and energy-efficient way. 

Previous such collaboration with the UK: 

• This Serum Institute and Oxford University partnership demonstrates the UK-India relationship at its best: a vaccine developed in the UK and made in India 
• According to the British High Commission, India supplies over 50 per cent of the world’s vaccines and 25 per cent of the Britain’s National Health Service’s (NHS) generic drugs. 

Need for Collaboration: 

• The new hub will enable both country experts to share knowledge on clinical trials and regulatory approvals. 
• A global pandemic requires a global solution. Scientific cooperation has made breakthroughs on corona virus vaccines at record-breaking pace 
• The UK-India Vaccine Hub will now build on innovations, to bring COVID crisis and also to an end and protect against future pandemics 
• A closer UK-India cooperation on medicines and vaccines approvals will ensure speedy access for the UK to Indian-produced pharmaceuticals and help safeguard future supplies to the National Health Services of Britain. 
• A closer UK-India relationship is a part of a wider UK Programme to focus on partnerships in the Indo-Pacific region.

Global COVAX initiative: 

Millions of doses made will be distributed to the world’s poorest people through the global COVAX initiative, in partnership with World Health Organization (WHO) and Gavi, the vaccine alliance.