The US has so far provided over $500 million in COVID-19 relief to India, the White House said on Wednesday, adding it would soon make a calculation on the issuance of 80 million vaccines to other countries. “Till date, the US has given over $500 million in COVID relief to India, including donations from the US federal and state governments, American companies and organizations and private citizens,” White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told members of the White House Foreign Press Group in a virtual press conference call.

She said the Biden administration, is now working to expand that help to other South Asian countries that are impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. “We have sent seven air shipments, including health supplies, oxygen, oxygen supplies, and N95 masks, rapid diagnostic tests and medicines”. “In terms of the 80 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines, we know there’s a great deal of interest in this clearly is 60 million of AstraZeneca vaccine and 20 million of three other approved vaccines. Right now, it is going through an interagency process,” Psaki said in response to a question.

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The interagency team including National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and the State Department are discussing to conclude how the United States is going to distribute and share these vaccine doses. “Certainly, the difficulties of people of India had been through is obviously on our minds but there is also a range of countries and regions around the world that have been deeply impacted that are also in need. So, these are all factors. Hopefully, we’ll have more on this in the coming days,” Psaki said.