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LONDON — In early March, U.S. President Joe Biden and the leaders of India, Japan and Australia – the so-called Quad group – chose to put COVID-19 vaccines at the center of their strategy to limit China’s growing influence in Asia.
Their plan to use 1 billion largely Indian-manufactured vaccines as a geopolitical tool was swiftly overtaken by events though U.S. officials have said it is still on track. Having started the year by describing itself as a “vac superpower” and “pharmacy of the world,” India has now halted exports and is seeking vaccines from elsewhere as the COVID-19 pandemic overwhelms its hospitals.