Pfizer, Moderna refused to sell COVID vaccines directly to us, they’ll only deal with Centre: Arvind Kejriwal

By Team Newsable | First Published May 24, 2021, 4:12 PM IST

Vaccine rollout for the 18-44 age group was paused on Saturday in Delhi due to the shortage of doses.

New Delhi: US pharmaceutical giants Pfizer and Moderna have made it clear they won't sell vaccines directly to Delhi, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said today, stressing that vaccine manufacturers have underlined "they will deal with the central government".

"We've spoken to Pfizer and Moderna for vaccines, and both the manufacturers have refused to sell vaccines directly to us. They have said they will deal with the central government. We appeal to the centre to import vaccines and distribute to the states," Kejriwal told reporters this afternoon.

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Vaccine rollout for the 18-44 age group was paused on Saturday in Delhi due to the shortage of doses.

While many states have issued a global tender for vaccines, Delhi is also in the process of finalising one and has also been talking to manufacturers globally. Kejriwal had said on Sunday that he is personally speaking to manufacturers globally and cost will not be a barrier in procuring vaccines.

Massachusetts-based biotechnology company Moderna, which has developed a messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccine to tackle Covid-19, has declined the Punjab government’s request for direct supply of its vaccine to the state. The US firm said as per its policy, the company only deals with central governments. Government sources, however, also said Moderna made it clear that it really did not have extra supplies till the year-end.

Central government sources said in the case of Pfizer, the discussions around the indemnity clause that the company wants to be exempted had progressed well and the issue of supplies had to be sorted out for the vaccines to be delivered to India. The mRNA vaccine is authorised for use in almost 50 nations, including the US, EU, UK, Canada, Singapore and South Korea.

Besides, most companies are facing capacity constraints given the massive demand for vaccines around the globe.

Pfizer and BioNTech are looking to ramp up production to 2.5 billion doses by the end of the year. Moderna, for instance, is hoping to make 800 million to a billion shots this year, with its manufacturing capacity projected to touch 3 billion doses in 2022.

Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking an increase in the supply of doses. "Every month, Delhi needs 80 lakh doses but it received only 16 lakh doses in May. For June, our share has been reduced further to eight lakh doses," he said.

NOTE: Asianet News humbly requests everyone to wear masks, sanitize, maintain social distancing and get vaccinated as soon as eligible. Together we can and will break the chain #ANCares #IndiaFightsCorona

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