Tribune News Service
New Delhi, May 24
The rollout of the much-awaited Pfizer and Moderna Covid vaccines in India could take time as the Centre today acknowledged delayed procurement timelines, noting that the order books of both the firms were full and domestic supplies would depend on surplus stocks.
“We are coordinating with Pfizer and Moderna and facilitating them with regulatory approvals and procurement issues. The order books of both Pfizer and Moderna are already full. So, it will depend on their surplus stocks as to how much they will provide to India. They will get back to the Government of India,” Joint Secretary, Health, Lav Agarwal said in response to Delhi and Punjab governments announcing that the two firms had refused to deal directly with the states saying they would engage only with the Centre.
The Delhi Government today shut 400 inoculation sites meant for 18 to 44-year-olds saying vaccines were unavailable and talks with Moderna and Pfizer had failed.
“Pfizer and Moderna have refused to sell directly to the Delhi Government and have said they are engaged with the Centre. Anticipating stock shortages, some countries even pre-booked the vaccines when these were still in the trial stage, but India did not take any such steps. I urge the Centre not to make the Covid vaccine programme a joke. Approve Pfizer and Moderna at war footing rather than asking states to approach these companies directly,” Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia said.
Delhi also closed down centres administering Covaxin to people aged 45 and above after stocks were exhausted.
The Ministry of Health, meanwhile, shifted the onus of planning on states saying Covishield and Covaxin shots produced today took eight days to be supplied to states and states must plan as per supply schedules shared by the Centre daily.
“Covishield production is roughly 6.5 crore a month and Covaxin averages about 1.5 crore a month. But the 8 crore vaccine doses are not immediately available for further distribution to states. Stability studies are done, which takes a week. Then the stocks are tested at the Central Drug Laboratory, Kasauli, which takes a day. What is produced today will take eight days to become available. The states must micro-plan vaccination sites,” Agarwal said.
So far, 19.60 crore doses have been administered in India, 15.29 crore of these as first dose. Of all, 14.56 crore have been given to 45-plus and 1.06 crore to 18 to 44-year-olds. India has not yet reached even the targeted 30 crore coverage for health, frontline, 60-plus people and 45 to 59-year-olds with comorbidities.
Meanwhile, a record 4,454 daily deaths were seen today with the toll crossing 3 lakh to settle at 3,03,720, though daily cases (2,22,315) were the lowest in 40 days and recovery rate improved to 87.7 per cent from a low of 81.7 per cent on May 3. For 11 days, recoveries have been exceeding new cases and active cases have reduced from the May 10 peak of 37,45,237 to 27,20,716 today.
Vaccine push
Jaishankar in US on five-day visit
New Delhi, May 24
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar arrived in New York on Sunday for a five-day visit. His focus will be on vaccines, including two meetings with vaccine manufacturers Pfizer and Moderna, to sort out wrinkles in exports to India, the MEA said.
The minister’s first day of engagement was devoted to interactions at the UN where India is expected to provide revised timelines of vaccine delivery to poorer countries.
In Washington, Jaishankar will have to wait for US Secretary of State Tony Blinken to return from his trip to the Middle East. — TNS
Sputnik V production starts in India
Domestic pharma major Panacea Biotec in collaboration with the RDIF has begun the production of ‘Sputnik V’ Covid-19 vaccine in India. The firm will produce 100 million doses per year in India.
- Fresh cases 2.22 lakh
- Active cases: 27,20,716
- Deaths in 24 hrs 4,454
- Total deaths: 3,03,720
- Onsite jab registration at govt centres for 18-44 group