US, Australia, India & Japan agree to deliver one billion doses of COVID vaccine

The leaders of the US, Australia, India and Japan have agreed to deliver one billion doses of coronavirus vaccine to much of Asia by the end of 2022.

The joint commitment was made following the first leaders’ meeting of the Quad countries held yesterday. The vaccines are expected to be the single-dose Johnson & Johnson product which will be manufactured in India.

US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said, with Indian manufacturing, US technology, Japanese and American financing and Australian logistics quad countries are committed to deliver up to one billion doses. He said the vaccines would go to the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) as well as the Pacific and beyond.

The Indian company Biological Ltd will manufacture the extra doses of the Johnson & Johnson jab, which received initial World Health Organization (WHO) approval yesterday.