States have no reason to complain about vaccines, says Harsh Vardhan

Ministry says allegation that the government is getting vaccines at a lower price and states are not are patently false

There was no need for a “crisis of confidence” over shortage of diagnostics or vaccines, and the allegation that the government was getting vaccines at a lower price while states were not was patently false, Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said on Sunday.

“They were demanding the removal of restrictions on vaccine supplies to them. Under the new policy, they have the liberty to directly procure from the manufacturers and negotiate the price with them based on the volumes,” said Vardhan said in a statement while stressing that there was no reason for states to complain about the vaccine.
 
Vardhan said he empathised with the states as they were leading the battle from the front and needed to replenish vaccine stocks fast. He said that the actual situation was that the states were getting a guaranteed channel of free supply and simultaneously procure from other the channel.
 
The health minister said that the pandemic had taken the veil off the stark reality that there may be many urgent health challenges in the next two decades. “These challenges demand a shared response...The greatest need of the hour is a greater degree of shared idealism,” Vardhan said.
 
He added that certain political leaders have chosen to indulge in needless politics over vaccination and spreading misinformation at every step about efficacy or pricing.