India to dispatch COVID-19 vaccine 'Covishield' to Myanmar, Seychelles, Mauritius

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Mumbai: The Serum Institute of India`s (SII) consignment of COVID-19 vaccine ‘Covishield’ to be dispatched to Myanmar, Seychelles and Mauritius has arrived at Mumbai`s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in the early hours of Friday. 

The flight for Myanmar is scheduled to take off at 6:40 am from Mumbai while the vaccine consignment for Mauritius and Seychelles will be sent via one flight expected to depart at 11 am.

According to sources, a consignment containing 1.5 million doses of Covishield vaccine will reach Yangon, Myanmar on January 22. A consignment of 50,000 doses of Covishield vaccine is scheduled to reach Seychelles as part of India`s vaccine donation program. 

Seychelles is only among the four Indian Ocean countries to receive the Covishield vaccine, manufactured by the SII.

"The donation of the vaccines under the VaccineMaitri demonstrates India’s role as a reliable partner of Seychelles and net security provider in the Indian Ocean Region. This is also reflective of India`s special relations with Seychelles and the central place enjoyed by Seychelles in Prime Minister Modi`s vision of SAGAR: "Security and Growth for All in the Region," the source said. 

Seychelles has around 1 lakh inhabitants and the 50,000 doses of Covishield will be able to cover nearly 25 per cent of the total Seychelles population, they added. Mauritius will receive a consignment of 100,000 doses of Covishield vaccine.

"Mauritius has a population of less than 1.3 million inhabitants and is highly dependent on external trade and tourism and hospitality industry which has been severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The request for supply of Indian vaccines was made from the highest level in the Mauritius government," as per the sources. 

Ministry of External Affairs had announced a vaccine rollout for Bhutan, Maldives, Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar and Seychelles from Wednesday which comes in line with its `Neighbourhood First Policy`.