With many vaccine manufacturers keen on dealing directly with the Centre, global tenders for vaccines by the States may not be an immediate solution for vaccine procurement, according to V. Ravi, virologist and nodal officer for genomic confirmation of SARS-CoV-2 in Karnataka. Dr. Ravi told The Hindu that the manufacturers of Pfizer have clearly indicated that they will deal only with the Union government. “Besides, the manufacturers of Sputnik, who have already made the first lot available in India, are also in touch with the Centre. Vaccine procurement through global tenders may not be as simple as it is made out to be,” he said. If the global tenders floated by the State government are not successful, the Centre may have to intervene and take charge of procurement for the States, he said.

Source: The Hindu May 29, 2021 16:18 UTC