Bill Gates praises India for covid vaccine manufacturing capability

Microsoft founder and philanthropist Bill Gates has lauded India for its vaccine manufacturing capability in the time of coronavirus. This comes days after India gave approval to two vaccine candidates. Gates, plugging a news report, wrote, “It’s great to see India’s leadership in scientific innovation and vaccine manufacturing capability as the world works to end the COVID-19 pandemic.” 

The praise comes amid growing skepticism over the Bharat Biotech vaccine Covaxin for coronavirus. As per columnist and author Rajeev Mantri, Gates’ high praise is noteworthy because he knows a thing or two about global public health, the Covid-19 pandemic and vaccine development.

Dr Krishna Ella, a scientist and MD of Bharat Biotech, on Monday tried to address the concerns of many regarding Covaxin. Gates’ endorsement of the Indian capabilities, which came hours after Ella’s press meet, is seen as a reinforcing positive development. 

Meanwhile, some commentators are of the view that there is a slur campaign against India by sections of the international establishment in the wake of two vaccine candidates emerging from India. Author Ruchir Sharma said that these campaigns are orchestrated by Western editors and foreign policy establishment hacks. “It’s just that they can’t say it themselves, lest they be (correctly) called out as racists or neo-colonialists. So the solution is to hire a weaponised immigrant or native sepoy,” he wrote.