Eminent American civil rights activist Reverend Jesse Jackson Seniors efforts have paved the way for US Vice President Kamala Harris calling up Prime Minister Narendra Modi and announcing to allocate Covid vaccines doses to India, said Vijay Prabhakar, a noted public health expert in Chicago. A product of Madras Medical College, Prabhakar, who is also the Global Ambassador of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, was the first person of colour to receive the US Public Health Service’s HIS Director’s Award of Excellence in 1992 during President Bill Clinton’s administration for his pioneering work as the Health Commissioner for the native American tribe, Winnebago, from 1986-1992.

He is also the Chairman of the American Association for Multi-Ethnic Physicians and the Founder Chair of US Congressman Danny Davis’ Multi-Ethnic Advisory Task Force in Chicago. Prabhakar told IANS in an exclusive interview that in a Zoom call with Tamil Nadu Finance Minister PTR Thiagarajan on May 21, Rev Jesse Jackson Sr had assured that Covid assistance is on its way to strengthen the state’s fight against the pandemic. The Higher Education Minister of Maharashtra, UdaySamant, too had requested Rev Jackson to intervene on behalf of India for vaccine allocation.