Delhi DyCM Sisodia writes to Centre after Moderna snub; 'ready to pay' for COVID vaccines

With Moderna and Pfizer shutting their doors for a direct deal with State governments, as claimed by Punjab and Delhi, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia has written a letter to Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan seeking a change in the current COVID-19 vaccine procurement plan and accusing the Centre of 'policy missteps' that have left the immunization drive in shambles at the moment. Citing the shortage of COVID-19 vaccines in Delhi, the AAP leader has claimed that the Union Government had left States on their own suddenly when cases began sky-rocketing in April this year, as the Centre changed its vaccination policy. Sisodia has also claimed that the production of vaccines in India by the two manufacturers - Serum Institute & Bharat Biotech - is controlled and regulated by the Centre, as he held it accountable for the acute shortage of anti-COVID jabs. 

Delhi Deputy CM plays blame-game vaccine procurement hits road-block

In a two-page letter to the Union Health Minister, the Delhi Deputy CM has said that the Government of India missed the opportunity to immunize people against COVID-19 despite the early headstart given by the scientific community in the battle against the pandemic and has now resulted in 'extraordinary loss of lives'.

Accusing the Centre of changing stances abruptly, Sisodia wrote, "When the COVID cases and the number of deaths started sky-rocketing towards the end of April 2021, the Government of India abruptly changed the vaccination policy and stated that the States will have to make their own arrangements for vaccinating the youth. (a selective renditioning of the vaccine liberalisation) Government of India also allowed the two major vaccine manufacturers in the country to fix illogical differential pricing for the Central Governments and the State Governments."

In his letter, the AAP leader has also claimed that the Delhi Government had placed an order for 67 lakh doses of Covishield and 67 lakh doses of Covaxin. However, he added, that the given order could not be delivered as the manufacturers allegedly told the Delhi government that it was the Centre that fixes the quota of allocation to different States and accordingly the national capital has received only 1,50,000 doses of Covaxin and 6,67,690 doses of Covishield. Holding the Centre accountable, Sisodia asserted that it was due to the lack of planning and strategy by the Union that States are unable to vaccinate people in time. 

Ready to pay for vaccine procurement if Centre will buy: Sisodia

Highlighting Moderna and Pfizer declining to deal with the states, Sisodia has sought the Centre to implement a centralized vaccine procurement and allocation policy. Maintaining that Delhi is ready to pay for the cost of the vaccines, Sisodia demanded that the Union Government comes out with a 'coherent, transparent and effective vaccination policy.' 

"To prevent any further loss of life, it is our humble request to the Government of India to come out with a centralized vaccine procurement and allocation policy. Delhi is ready to pay for the cost of the vaccine. You have left the people of this country including Delhi in such a vulnerable position and made the States and the people fend for themselves. The Government of India controls the production and supply of vaccines by Indian manufacturers and it also controls the supply of vaccines by manufacturers from abroad. It is high time that the Government of India comes out with a coherent, transparent and effective vaccination policy for all the citizens of this country including the children," Sisodia wrote. 

As per the Health Ministry data, Delhi has inoculated 39,40,310 beneficiaries with the first dose of COVID-19 vaccines till date. 11,51,602 individuals have received the second jab of the vaccine, taking the total number to 50,91,912. At present, there are 27,610 active novel coronavirus cases in Delhi while 13,66,056 patients have been discharged and 23202 deaths were reported.  Earlier on Sunday, Sisodia had also expressed the Delhi government's stern reservation against holding exams and urged the Centre to vaccinate children first, claiming that they would be the worst-affected in the purported third wave of the virus. There is no scientific support to Sisodia's claims as of now. 

'Moderna, Pfizer said no': Kejriwal 

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal claimed that Moderna and Pfizer had refused to directly sell their vaccines to the AAP government. Addressing the media during a visit to the oxygen cylinder depot in Mayapuri, Kejriwal mentioned that the companies were only ready to talk with the Centre. Earlier, the Punjab government too had encountered a similar response from Moderna.

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal remarked, "We talked to Pfizer. They said that we will not give you the vaccines but talk to the Centre. We spoke to Moderna. Moderna said that we will not give you the vaccines but talk to the Centre. I appeal to the Union government with folded hands that our country has already lost a lot of time. Now, we should not lose more time. There are so many vaccines in the international market whether it is Johnson & Johnson, Moderna, Pfizer. The Centre should talk to them, import the vaccines and distribute them among the states." 

The Delhi government had been among those that had sought to procure vaccines themselves as the second wave of COVID spiralled but was perhaps the first also to realise that individual states approaching vaccine-makers was counterproductive as they had significantly lowered bargaining power. Kejriwal had then appealed to the central government to procure vaccines instead, followed by some other states. However, the global makers' refusal to deal with states directly appears to have exacerbated the divide to a point where it's even more gloves-off than before.