Delhi floats global tender for 10 mn Covid-19 vaccine doses on urgent basis

The Delhi government has floated a Global Expression of Interest (EOI) for procurement of 10 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines on an urgent basis

The Delhi government has floated a Global Expression of Interest (EOI) for procurement of 1 crore doses of Covid-19 vaccines on an urgent basis.

In the EOI, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) stated that the offered vaccine must be duly approved by a competent authority of the government of India.

The Delhi government will accept an offer or expression of interest through e-mail by 5 pm on June 7.

The efforts are part of efforts to ramp up the vaccination drive against Covid-19,

This follows after the vaccination of beneficiaries aged between 18-44 years were put on hold for the last five days. The stock of Bharat Biotech's Covaxin has been completely exhausted in Delhi. It is not even available with the Delhi government for people aged 45 years and above.

"The Health and Family Welfare Department of NCT of Delhi intends to procure SARS-Cov2 vaccine on an urgent basis to control and manage the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. Global Expression of Interest is hereby invited from international manufacturers of COVID-19 vaccine or their authorised agents or from direct importers with appropriate license to import the vaccine in India. The offered COVID-19 vaccine must be duly approved by the competent authority of the government of India," the EOI document said.

Earlier, Pfizer and Moderna had refused to sell their vaccines directly to the Delhi and the Punjab government stating that they will only deal with the Central government.

"We have spoken to Pfizer and Moderna for vaccines, and both the companies have refused to sell vaccines directly to us. They have said that they will deal with the Government of India alone," Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had said.

The central government has so far approved three vaccines for use in India -- Covishield, Covaxin and Russia's Sputnik V.

The Serum Institute of India (SII) makes Covishield (under license from AstraZeneca), while Bharat Biotech makes the indigenously-developed Covaxin.

According to the Delhi government, as many as 2,65,010 doses of Covishield are available with the state government for health care workers, frontline workers and those above 45 years of age.

Delhi has so far vaccinated 52,64,232 people and is left with 2,65,010 doses of Covishield for health care workers, frontline workers and those above 45 years of age.