COVID-19: Several states float global tender for vaccines amid shortage

Several state governments have floated global tenders to acquire the requisite vaccine stocks amid shortage.

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New Delhi: Even as Centre claimed that it has provided more than 18 crore COVDI-19 vaccine doses to states and UTs free of cost, several state governments are floating global tenders to acquire the requisite stock of vaccines.

On Tuesday Delhi, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana governments decided to issue global tenders for procurement of COVID-19 vaccines as the domestic supply has failed to keep up with the rising demand. While, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Odisha have also issued global tenders for procuring vaccines as quickly as possible.

States have complaiend of acute shortage of doses and are now prioritising people who need to be given their second dose within a prescribed period. 

The Delhi government said it will float a global tender for procuring coronavirus vaccines. On Tuesday, Deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia alleged that the BJP-ruled Centre was “forcing" state governments to invite global tenders for vaccine procurement.

While, the Telangana cabinet decided to invite global tenders for procurement of COVID-19 vaccine, an official statement informed.

Joinign the ranks, Uttar Pradesh had floated global e-tenders earlier this month to procure 4 crore doses of COVID-19 vaccines from licensed manufacturers. As per officials, UP may directly procure a large amount of COVID-19 vaccines developed by Moderna and Johnson & Johnson or Sputnik V.

On Monday, the Odisha government had announced that it had decided to float a global tender for procuring the jabs to vacicnate the states entire population.

“It is felt that complete vaccination is the best way to protect precious lives of the people. Therefore, the Cabinet allowed the state government to go for global tender and get vaccines at the earliest," Chief Secretary S C Mohapatra had said.