Centre to leave import of vaccines to states- The decision may slow acquisitions of shots as a second wave of the pandemic rips through the country

The decision may slow acquisitions of shots as a second wave of the pandemic rips through the country

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Reuters   |   New Delhi   |  27.04.21 : India’s government has decided to leave the import of Covid-19 vaccines to state authorities and companies, two government officials told Reuters, a decision that may slow acquisitions of shots as a second wave of the pandemic rips through the country.

They said Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government would instead aim to support domestic vaccine makers by guaranteeing purchases from them. The government this month paid Indian producers in advance, for the first time, for vaccine doses.

After cases began soaring this month, Modi’s government urged Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson to seek permission to sell their shots in India, and he relaxed rules for them.

But the sources said New Delhi was now leaving it to the states and firms to sign deals with foreign drugmakers.

India’s new coronavirus caseload hit a record daily peak for a fifth day on Monday.

“The situation is desperate,” one of the government officials told Reuters. He added that India would allow import of vaccines by local partners of drug companies but the federal government “won’t buy”.

The second government official said: “I don’t think the government will be buying foreign vaccines.”

Both officials have direct knowledge of the matter but declined to be named because of the sensitivity of the issue.

The ministries of external affairs, health and commerce did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The worst-hit state, Maharashtra, has said it will float a global tender to import vaccines. But many poorer states may fall behind without financial support from the Centre.

Health economist Rijo M. John, guest professor at the Indian Institute of Management in the city of Kozhikode, said: “Vaccines should be bought, imported by the Centre and given to the people for free.”