June 1, 2021
Mr. Joe Biden
President, United States of America
Washington D.C.
Dear President Biden:
Thank you for releasing 80 million vaccines overseas for the countries that are being affected by COVID19 pandemic. Thank you for your support of the waiver for COV ID19vaccine patents at the World Trade Organization. Thank you for all the assistance given to India, so far during their second wave of the COVID19 pandemic but that is just not enough.
India is experiencing an unprecedented humanitarian crisis of epic proportions caused by the COVID 19 pandemic. I am urging you to ensure that India at the earliest receives at least 60million of those 80million vaccines allocated for overseas. It is our bounden duty to protect India now to flatten the COVID19 pandemic there, which will in turn protect America and rest of the world.
Communities across United States have expressed their solidarity with us helping India combat this COVID19 pandemic. I personally met with Physicians and Indian American Community leaders in Chicago (May 5& May 7), Atlanta( May 15 ) and Washington D.C.(May 19 &20) during the month of May.
State Governments from India ,particularly Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu have reached out to me personally , appealing that the U.S. donated vaccines to India should be distributed equitably to the States, where there is a high incidence and sufficient healthcare manpower to administer the vaccines immediately. Additionally, these State governments of India are also willing to purchase Astra Zeneca vaccines and Johnson & Johnson vaccines from America to meet the huge demands to mass vaccinate their populations.
Rainbow Push Coalition’s Global Ambassador, Dr. Vijay G Prabhakar who is also the National Chairman of American Association of Multi-Ethnic Physicians along with Ms. Santosh Kumar, Executive Director of Metropolitan Asian Family Services, Chicago are spearheading a Clarion Call to America’s Leaders to enhance aid to India at this time on a war footing. Both of them are joining me at Tulsa, Oklahoma to plead India’s case to you.
President Biden, We urge you to invoke the Federal Emergency Production Act ( Defense Production Act ) to allow the vaccine manufacturers in USA to meet the global demands. We also request your administration to speed up the supply chains for key equipments which increase COVID vaccine production.
Thank You for your prompt attention to this issue, which needs your urgent intervention.
Sincerely Yours:
Reverend Jesse L Jackson, Sr. Founder-President
Rainbow Push Coalition Camp : Tulsa, Oklahoma
