Recently, 'BRICS Vaccine R & D Centre' was launched in India for vaccine research and development. This centre will facilitate experience sharing and mutual cooperation among BRICS countries.
This centre will promote fair distribution of vaccines in BRICS countries. At the same time, it will enhance the capacity of prevention and control of infectious diseases apart from providing timely assistance to other developing countries as needed.
Centre will also conduct research on vaccine-preventable diseases and some other diseases for which currently vaccines are not available, in addition to epidemics and health emergencies.
Centre will support the goal set by the World Health Organization to have 70% of the world's population vaccinated against COVID-19 by the mid 2022.
Notably, India is one of the world's largest vaccine producers, supplying vaccines to more than 150 countries. India supplies about 60 to 70 percent of the vaccine requirement as assessed by WHO.