India offers Covid-19 vaccination to diplomats of foreign missions, families

A letter sent to foreign missions by the protocol division of the external affairs ministry last week sought names and details of diplomats and family members who want to be vaccinated

Updated on: Jan 25, 2021, 13:41:13 IST

By Rezaul H Laskar

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The Indian government has offered Covid-19 vaccination to diplomats of foreign missions and their family members as a “gesture of goodwill and solidarity”, people familiar with developments said on Monday.

A letter sent to foreign missions by the protocol division of the external affairs ministry last week sought names and details of diplomats and family members who want to be vaccinated “on a voluntary basis”, the people cited above said on condition of anonymity.

The letter didn’t specify any dates for the vaccination of the diplomats or give other details, such as the vaccine to be used, two diplomats based in New Delhi said on condition of anonymity.

“The Government of India, as a gesture of goodwill and solidarity, is considering to offer Covid-19 vaccination to eligible foreign diplomats and their family members accredited to all Diplomatic Missions, including Consulates, United Nations and its specialised agencies and other international organisations, based in India,” the letter said.

“The vaccination would be on a voluntary basis, and in accordance with the phased plan of domestic roll-out,” it added.

The letter further said modalities, including a timeframe and venues, are being worked out. The diplomats were asked to provide certain details, such as co-morbidities.

Also read | India adds 13,203 Covid-19 cases, 131 deaths; tally over 10.66 million

India has so far donated nearly five million doses of Covishield, the AstraZeneca vaccine made by the Serum Institute of India, to seven countries in the neighbourhood, including Bangladesh and Myanmar. It also plans to provide more doses as grant assistance to Afghanistan and Sri Lanka.

Commercial supplies of vaccines began with the rolling out of two million doses each to Brazil and Morocco and more supplies are expected to be sent in the coming days to South Africa, Saudi Arabia and Bangladesh.

India has inoculated more than 1.6 million frontline and health workers so far under the vaccination drive launched on January 16.

A decision by foreign missions on availing of India’s vaccination offer will depend on whether their countries have approved one of the two vaccines being made in India, Covishield and Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin. A growing number of countries have approved the AstraZeneca vaccine.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Rezaul H Laskar
Rezaul Hasan Laskar is Foreign Editor with the Hindustan Times, which he joined in 2015. He began as a journalist in his hometown of Shillong in northeast India and has worked in newspapers and wire services over the years. He moved to New Delhi in 1997 and initially focused on defence, national security, Jammu and Kashmir and the northeast, while also working of foreign policy and international relations. He has been part of the media delegation accompanying PMs on foreign visits and has reported from destinations ranging from Tibet to Ukraine. Between 2007 and 2013, he was the Press Trust of India correspondent in Pakistan, one of only two Indian journalists allowed to report from the country. He extensively covered Pakistan’s domestic politics and the life of the common people, as well as the fallout of the 2008 Mumbai attacks on India-Pakistan relations and the subsequent trial in Pakistan of the suspects involved in the attack. As part of his reportage in Pakistan, he travelled the breadth of the country, from the Swat Valley to Balochistan. Reza’s first gig in journalism was writing a weekly music column, and music – especially classic rock – remains a keen interest. He is also a movie buff and a keen photographer.Read More

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