Continuing with its ‘Vaccine Maitri’ initiative, India has dispatched two consignments of Covishield COVID-19 vaccines to the Caribbean countries

Consignments of vaccine produced by the Serum Institute of India departed from Mumbai late in the evening on Sunday.

Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava tweeted, “Consignments of made in India Covid vaccines airlifted for Barbados and Commonwealth of Dominica!”

“#VaccineMaitri continues! Consignments of Made in India Covid vaccines airlifted for Barbados and Commonwealth of Dominica!” Srivastava said in another tweet.


The Vaccine Maitri initiative, which translates to 'Vaccine Friendship' has seen some thousands of vaccines manufactured in India being shipped and shared with countries, especially poor countries, around the globe.

According to a Barbados media outlet Loop News, Barbados is receiving one lakh doses of the vaccine which translates to 100,000 and Dominica is to receive 70,000 doses. The vaccines are being given as a grant.

India had earlier provided Barbados with Covishield vaccines, for which the country's Prime Minister Mia Mottley has expressed her gratitude to the Indian government.

"I trust that you are well and safe. On behalf of my Government and people, I wish to express gratitude to you, your Government, and the people of the Republic of India for its most generous donation of the Covishield vaccines (under the auspices of Oxford AstraZeneca),” a wire agency quoted Mia Mottley as saying.

Last month, Mottley wrote to Prime Minister Modi, requesting access to vaccines to provide immunization coverage for the island nation.