Ahead of vaccination for 18+, UP decides to float global tenders
LUCKNOW: Amid uncertainty prevailing ahead of the third phase of the Covid-19 vaccination scheduled to be launched on May 1 in view of scepticism over adequate supplies, the Uttar Pradesh government on Thursday decided to float global tenders to procure four to five crore doses of the Covid vaccines.
The step comes in the backdrop of the authorities having earlier indicated that the launch of the new phase would depend on the supply of vaccines even while preparations were on for the drive.
The decision on floating global tenders was taken at a high-level meeting that chief minister Yogi Adityanath chaired on Thursday.
The third phase would be important in the fight against the Covid pandemic, he noted. The registration of beneficiaries for the third phase had been launched on Wednesday, he said.
To launch the third phase, the state government had earlier placed orders for the supply of one crore vaccine doses — 50 lakh doses each from Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech International Limited that manufactures Covaxin and the Punebased Serum Institute of India (SII) that makes Covishield, a health and family welfare department officer said.
The chief minister directed officials to ensure that there was no wastage of vaccine doses. The process of global tenders for the procurement of 4-5 crore vaccine doses should be taken forward immediately, he added.
Only those people should be permitted at the vaccination centres who wished to be inoculated, he added. The ongoing vaccination drive for people above 45 years would continue according to the schedule, he said. Additional chief secretary (Health and Family Welfare) Amit Mohan Prasad said the state government had given 1.21 crore vaccine doses to beneficiaries since the launch of the vaccination drive on January 16.
The district magistrates and chief medical officers have been directed to prepare a work plan for the launch of the third phase. The beneficiaries should visit the vaccination centres to get the jabs, he said.