Moderna refuses direct vaccine supply to Punjab

Punjab’s efforts to float global tenders for direct procurement of vaccines for early inoculation in the state has hit a roadblock as the vaccine suppliers only deal with Government of India and not with the state government or any private party. Sharing the information, senior bureaucrat Vikas Garg, who has been appointed the State Nodal Officer for Vaccination, said one of a Covid vaccine manufacturers ‘Moderna’ has refused to send vaccines directly to the Punjab Government as according to the company policy, it only dealt with the Government of India and not with any state government or private parties. He said all vaccine manufacturers were approached for direct purchase of various Covid vaccines, including Sputnik V, Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson, as per the directions of the Chief Minister to explore the possibilities of floating a global tender for the procurement of vaccines from all possible sources to ensure early inoculation in the state.