"Not Even Enough For...": Vaccine Panel Chief On Pfizer, Moderna Offers

Dr Arora, however, indicated that the government would have reconsidered its stance on indemnity if the vaccine makers were willing to provide a larger amount of vaccines -- like 100 or 200 million doses.

All US-based vaccine makers are insisting on indemnity and liability clauses and India's reluctance to meet them is slowing down their entry in the market, NK Arora, head of the government's vaccine panel told NDTV yesterday. He, however, revealed that the country's plan to vaccinate all eligible adults by December does not depend on foreign vaccines. Dr Arora, however, indicated that the government would have reconsidered its stance on indemnity if the vaccine makers were willing to provide a larger amount of vaccines -- like 100 or 200 million doses. Pfizer, he said, has offered only 70 million doses -- a tiny fraction of the 135 crore doses India needs by December. Moderna, he said, offered only 7.5 million doses, “which will be insufficient even for Saket (in south Delhi)”. Earlier today, it became known that Johnson & Johnson pulled out its proposal seeking an accelerated approval for local trials, though the firm said it is still in talks with the Indian government, “exploring how best to accelerate our ability to deliver our COVID-19 vaccine to India".