India favours discussions with greater focus on vaccine equity

While countries like Japan deciding to issue “vaccine passports” as proof of immunisation for its citizens travelling abroad, India on Thursday said that it will favour discussion with a greater focus on vaccine equity, since many developing nations are yet to inoculate a large per cent of their population.

“As you are aware, there is an ongoing global debate on this issue of so-called vaccine passports. We feel that this has to be linked to the larger issue of vaccine equity given that many developing countries have not yet been able to vaccinate a large per cent of their population,” Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, adding: “We would favour discussions on the subject of vaccine passports with greater focus on vaccine equity.”

Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan had during a G7 plus ministerial session earlier this month conveyed India’s strong opposition to the idea of a ‘vaccine passport’.