New Delhi: A day after government sources said that the Centre may grant indemnity to foreign-made vaccines Pfizer and Moderna, the Serum Institute of India (SII) also sought legal protection against liabilities, reported news agency ANI. The Pune-based company is manufacturing Covishield doses in India.

The ANI sources quoted SII as further telling the government that “not just the Serum Institute of India but all the vaccine companies should get indemnity protection against liabilities if foreign companies are granted the same.”

Notably, the government has not granted any vaccine manufacture in India indemnity or protection against liabilities so far.

Pfizer, the US pharma company, has sought an indemnity bond that will exempt it from any legal claims in case there are any adverse effects from the vaccine.

The sources had yesterday told ANI that the government is likely to grant indemnity to Pfizer and Moderna in India along the lines of the approach taken by the USA and other countries that have rolled out the aforesaid vaccines.

“It is expected to grant indemnity against legal proceedings along the lines of what has been granted in other countries for Pfizer and Moderna vaccine companies,” sources had said. The pending indemnity clause is causing delays in the emergency nod to Pfizer, Moderna vaccines. With the development, foreign-made vaccines are expected to come to India soon.

Meanwhile, a former senior ICMR official had told ANI that no company in India’s vaccination history has ever paid indemnity and the government, which is the biggest user of vaccines, has also not done it.

“No Indian company has ever paid indemnity in India’s vaccination history, and neither the government, the biggest vaccine user, has done that. Even deaths after COVID-19 vaccination have not come under this umbrella,” former Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) chief Dr. Nirmal K Ganguly said on Wednesday.

He said there is a risk-benefit ratio in vaccination and benefits far more outweigh any risks.