The World Health Organization is reportedly in talks with India regarding the agency’s ambitious ‘COVAX’ vaccine allocation plan, which the country is likely to join, reported news agency Reuters quoting a senior WHO official.

“India is certainly eligible, like all countries in the world, to be part of the COVAX facility and discussions are ongoing in that regard, Reuters reported Bruce Aylward, as saying at a briefing in Geneva.

“We would welcome Indian participation …India has extensive experience (with vaccines),” he added.

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India is currently on its way to start the Phase 3 human trial of the country’s indigenous vaccine, Covaxin, which has been prepared by Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech.  

The country currently has the fastest-growing COVID-19 cases in the world, with a spike of more than 90,000 cases in a day over the past few days. On Monday, India surpassed Brazil to occupy the second position after the US in terms of worst-hit countries by the pandemic.

Earlier in August, the WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus urged countries worldwide to come together in its vaccine allocation plan which has already been joined by 170 countries around the world. 

The WHO and the GAVI vaccine collaboration are leading the COVAX programme, which is aimed to help buy and distribute shots of the coronavirus vaccine fairly around the world.

However, some countries, including the United States, through bilateral deals have secured their own vaccine supplies. The US has refused to join COVAX.