New India will run by its own rules: Centre reveals the dilemma over foreign-made Covid vaccines

By: Orin Basu

Amid the Covid pandemic, questions were raised as to why the government was not introducing foreign-made vaccines to tackle the pandemic. And now, for the first time, the health ministry has clarified on the issue.

The sole reason was unjustified demands by foreign corporations. Moderna and Pfizer merely saw India as a huge market and were confident that India, with its massive population, would not be able to tide over the crisis without their help.

Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya and NITI Aayog member VK Paul were speaking at the launch of the book “A Nation to Protect – Leading India Through the Covid Crisis” by Priyam Gandhi Mody. Zee News editor-in-chief Sudhir Chaudhary was conducting the event.

Moderna and Pfizer had started negotiating with India in November 2020 when the country was still reeling under the jitters of the first wave and recording over one lakh cases every day. The two companies put forth some rather harsh terms in exchange for their support – terms that were unacceptable to the New India.

The country went through a rough phase, with the Opposition questioning the government’s capabilities of vaccinating the entire population. But India not only came up with its own vaccine, but also helped several countries during the crisis.

The Centre wanted the foreign companies to manufacture vaccines for Indians in India. But this was not acceptable to the corporations.

“Foreign companies are welcome in India. But they must work according to our conditions. This is New India. Earlier, we were fully dependent on their research. We would wait for 10 years for vaccines after the danger in those countries subsided,” Mandaviya said.

“We did not want to bow down before those companies, and then, came up with our own vaccines,” the minister added.

American company Moderna had kept the “indemnity against liability” clause, which means it would not take responsibility in case of fatalities or other side-effects during tests. Additionally, Pfizer wanted “sovereign immunity waiver” meaning Indian laws would not have applied to it.

Two “Made-in-India” vaccines, Covaxin and Covishield, have delivered good results in the country. Two foreign-made vaccines, Sputnik and Johnson & Johnson, have also received permission, meaning they are abiding by Indian laws.

Pfizer in South America

India was not the only country to face harsh conditions by global pharma companies. Pfizer had laid out similar conditions in Argentina too, wherein it suggested that insurance companies pay for side-effects during corona tests.

When the Argentine government agreed, Pfizer put up new demands, saying the government must reserve money in the company’s account in an international bank. It further demanded that its medicines be kept in a military base in the capital and an embassy be made where its employees would reside, thereby meaning that the country’s laws won’t be applicable on its employees.

Harsh conditions were imposed on Brazil as well. Apart from asking it to deposit money in the company’s name in an international account, Pfizer also wanted the government to mortgage its properties to them as guarantee. The company intended to sell of these properties if it got into legal wrangles in Brazil. Also, it did not want to be held accountable if tests went wrong.