GLOBAL BID

(information) Navneet Sehgal had said the state government will approach foreign Covid vaccine manufacturers to ramp up the vaccine stock and get the supply soon.

In the pre-bid qualification meeting held on May 13, top vaccine manufacturing companies — Dr Reddy’s Laboratories, Zydus Cadila, Pfizer, Serum Institute of India (SII), Bharat Biotech and a Korean company — had raised the issues of storage and transportation of the vaccines and bid security.

The state government on May 17 had revised the supply conditions, bid security and eligibility terms for the bidders to pave the way for the participation of maximum companies.

In the revised tender, the state government has stated that the manufacturers of vaccines requiring storage or transportation at temperatures like -20 degrees Celsius, -70s degree Celsius or -80 degrees Celsius can participate in the tender. It would pave the way for the entry of foreign vaccine manufacturers like Moderna, Pfizer and Johnson and Johnson in the global tender, Sehgal had said.

“The more vaccines we get, the maximum number of people will be vaccinated quickly,” he said.