Pfizer & Moderna declined to sell Covid vaccines to Delhi govt: Kejri

‘Appeal to Centre with folded hands to talk to firms, give states’

CM Arvind Kejriwal on Monday said US pharmaceutical giants Pfizer and Moderna have declined to sell coronavirus vaccines to the Delhi government as they want to directly deal with the Centre. “We have had talks with Pfizer and Moderna. They said they won’t give us vaccine and will directly talk to the Centre,” Kejriwal told reporters.

“I appeal to the central government with folded hands to talk to these firms, import vaccines and distribute them among states,” he added.

Kejriwal said the second wave is declining gradually and the government has started preparations for the third wave. “We have imported 6,000 oxygen cylinders from China. Three depots with 2,000 each are being created. These will be used in case of a third wave. MEA and Indian Embassy in Beijing help us greatly, else this was not possible,” he said.

Stressing vaccination is the need of the hour to protect people against the coronavirus, Deputy CM Manish Sisodia said they have spoken to Moderna, Pfizer and Johnson and Johnson for vaccines. “Pfizer and Moderna have refused to sell us directly saying they are talking to the Centre. The Centre has not approved Pfizer and Moderna whereas the world over they have been approved and bought by countries.”

Sisodia said some countries bought vaccines in advance while these were in trial stage but India did not take any step in that direction.

Sisodia accused the Cente of "mismanaging" the vaccination programme, saying it has asked states to float global tenders for jabs without giving approval to vaccines of foreign companies.

The Deputy CM in a letter to Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan charged vaccination for the youth has been “messed” up due to policy “missteps”. “In spite of early advantages given by our scientific community and Indian manufacturers, we have squandered away the great opportunity of timely vaccination of our people.”