After Moderna, Pfizer also refuses vaccine to Punjab

Tribune News Service

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Chandigarh, May 24

After Moderna, another US manufacturer Pfizer has refused to send its Covid vaccine directly to the Punjab Government, saying under its policy, they

will only deal with the Government of India.

State Nodal Officer for vaccination Vikas Garg said Pfizer, in a communication, has said: “Pfizer is working with federal governments across the world to supply its Covid-19 vaccine for use in national immunisation programmes. Our supply agreements at this time are with national governments and supra-national organisations with allocation of doses and implementation within the country being a decision that governments take based on relevant health authority guidance. This approach Pfizer has followed across the world.”

The officer said all manufacturers were approached for direct purchase of various Covid vaccines, including Sputnik V, Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson, as per the directions of Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh to explore possibilities of floating a global tender for the procurement of vaccines from all possible sources to ensure early inoculation in the state.

He said the state was still hoping for a positive reply from Sputnik V and Johnson & Johnson.

He added the state government was forced to stop vaccination for phases I and 2 categories over the past three days because of unavailability of the vaccine.