States’ jab tender not easy as global supply runs dry

| | New Delhi
  • 1

States’ jab tender not easy as global supply runs dry

Friday, 14 May 2021 | Archana Jyoti | New Delhi

States’ jab tender not easy as global supply runs dry

Foreign vaccine makers busy meeting pre-orders for others

States have started floating separate tenders to procure Covid-19 vaccines from abroad, but experts feel they should not expect much from the global market which is facing acute shortages of vaccines, too.

Most of the foreign vaccine makers are busy meeting their pre-order commitments to other countries, experts said, giving the instance of the US which is stockpiling Pfizer-made vaccines in a big way. Similarly, Australia on Thursday secured 25 million doses of the coronavirus vaccine produced by US pharmaceuticals manufacturer Moderna.

There is a serious dearth of vaccine in the global market, because the number of suppliers is limited and demand too high from across the world.  The Chinese vaccines are likely to be a strict “no no” for many countries considering that Seychelles, which mostly used Chinese vaccines

made by Sinpharm to vaccinate its people, continue to report high cases.

Moderna and Pfizer are already busy executing existing orders of various countries. Recently, the European Union sued AstraZeneca, which developed Oxford University’s vaccine known as Covishield in India, over not honouring the vaccine supply contract.

It is unlikely that AstraZeneca, which has a partner in India, will enter into a contract with any of the States floating global tenders for Covid-19 vaccines, said Dr RK Dhamija, head of Neurology Department of Lady Hardinge Medical College, Delhi.

The experts also said any order takes time to ramp up production since the key ingredients are biological in nature and can’t be mass produced initially keeping safety in mind.

Public health expert KS Reddy from the Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI) said India should have placed order much earlier foreseeing shortages given the huge population to be vaccinated

The experts also felt that instead of allowing States to look for import of anti-Covid vaccines on their own, the Centre should have taken up centralised procurement to ensure that it can bargain the vaccine at the competitive price and then made available to States as per their consumption.

Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Uttarakhand Haryana and Delhi are among States that have decided to go global to procure vaccines as the supply of vaccines in the country is not adequate compared with the population. 

In fact, many States have postponed the vaccination drive for those 18 plus to 44 years old, due to shortage which they plan to meet through import.

For its part, the Central Government said the vaccine availability situation is likely to be improved only after July when 216 crore doses of vaccines will be manufactured by the Serum Institute of India (SII) and Bharat Biotech which are providing Covishield and Covaxin respectively.

Dr VK Paul, Niti Aayog member (Health) at a Press conference on Thursday here said those jabs approved by FDA and World Health Organisation (WHO) can come to India. “Import license will be granted within 1-2 days,” he said, in the wake of the States decision to import the jabs. 

States seem to be clueless on the vaccines it can import. For instance, senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader and Maharashtra Minister Nawab Malik on Thursday asked the Centre if the Moderna vaccine has been cleared for inoculation in India.

“Presently Covishield and Covaxin are being administered while Sputnik V has just been permitted in India by the Central Government. According to the information I have received, the French Embassy in India has procured Moderna vaccine and it is being administered to the French citizens and their relatives in Navi Mumbai with the help of Apollo Hospital in Mumbai,” Malik said in a statement.

“If they can get it, why can’t the Indian Government get it for its citizens?” he asked.

Intriguingly, on Thursday, for the first time the Centre too revealed that it was in touch with foreign vaccine makers Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson and Johnson (J&J) for manufacturing, fill and finish but they indicated availability only in the third quarter of 2021, said Dr Paul.

So far since the launch of the nationwide vaccination drive from January 26, nearly 18 crore doses of Covid19 vaccine have been administered in India. Currently, Covaxin is available for Rs 400 a dose to state governments and Rs 1,200 to private hospitals, while Covishield costs states Rs 300 a dose and private hospitals Rs 600.

Former Union Health Secretary Sujatha Rao tweeted, “Totally unprecedented that States issue global tenders for vaccines. It’s bizarre. What are we conveying to the world? Impossible to understand why GOI does not simply do what all Governments till now had done...procure for govt -central and states...money can be shared as CSS if required.”

In fact, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal too pointed out that states importing on their own will be like competing with each other  at the international market for life saving items like vaccines.

Rahul Bhargava, Director and Head, Haematology and Bone Marrow Transplant, Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurugram, too echoed similar concerns saying “this is going to lead to total chaos”.

The Centre on behalf of the States should bargain with vaccine manufacturers and then distribute to them as per their need. Each State individually bargaining means the vaccine company making maximum profit. Who will bear the cost, a common man only.”

Sunday Edition

CAA PASSPORT TO FREEDOM

24 March 2024 | Kumar Chellappan | Agenda

CHENNAI EXPRESS IN GURUGRAM

24 March 2024 | Pawan Soni | Agenda

The Way of Bengal

24 March 2024 | Shobori Ganguli | Agenda

The Pizza Philosopher

24 March 2024 | Shobori Ganguli | Agenda

Astroturf | Lord Shiva calls for all-inclusiveness

24 March 2024 | Bharat Bhushan Padmadeo | Agenda

Interconnected narrative l Forest conservation l Agriculture l Food security

24 March 2024 | BKP Sinha/ Arvind K jha | Agenda