After Delhi, Punjab complains Moderna refused to supply COVID-19 vaccines

American biotechnology company Moderna refused to supply its COVID-19 vaccines to Punjab directly saying that the company would deal only with the Government of India, as per the official policy. The Amarinder Singh administration reached out to all such vaccine manufacturers for direct purchases, said officials, reported ANI.

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Punjab is currently exploring the possibilities to procure vaccines from other sources, including Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology, manufacturers of the Russian COVID-19 vaccine Sputnik V, Johnson & Johnson, and Pfizer, said Vikas Garg, reported NDTV.

Garg said that only Moderna had replied, but the company refused to deal with the Punjab government. Around 90 million people have been vaccinated with Moderna’s COVID vaccine, reported NDTV. 

Punjab had to pause its vaccination drive for phases 1 and 2 in the past three days due to the scarcity of doses. The state, so far, has bought as many as 4.2 lakh COVID vaccine doses, including 66,000 that was received on Saturday, for the phase 3 allocation, which is for the people of age group 18-44. Up to 3.65 lakh doses have already been used up, which leaves only 64,000, said Garg. “All efforts would be made for procurement of vaccines to meet the acute shortage in the state, which had received fewer than 44 lakh vaccine doses so far from the Government of India”, he said, reports NDTV.

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Punjab reported almost 5,300 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday, taking its overall count tally to 5.34 lakhs. It also reported 201 deaths, which takes the overall death toll to more than 13,000.