
Maharastra, Karnataka, Delhi, Andra Pradesh, Odisha, Telangana, and Uttar Pradesh have decided to "float global tenders" to procure vaccines.
However, many states like Maharastra, Punjab, Karnataka have reported a shortage of vaccines. Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking permission to get COVID-19 vaccines from other manufacturers to overcome the vaccine shortage faced by the state. States like Maharashtra and Karnataka have decided to temporarily hold off the vaccination drive for the 18-44 age group due to lack of vaccine supply.
Observing the scarcity of vaccines, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has also directed the Health Department to explore all the options to get an adequate supply of vaccines.
Adar Poonawalla, CEO of the Serum Institute of India, which produces the Covid vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford, said the shortage of vaccine doses in India would continue through July, when production is expected to increase from 60 to 70 million doses a month, to 100 million.
Amid these shortages, Maharastra, Karnataka, Andra Pradesh, Odisha, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, and Delhi, as of May 11, decided to float global tenders to procure vaccines to ramp up their inoculation drive. Tamil Nadu and Haryana are two other states to join the others in floating tenders for the vaccine as of May 13, 2021.
The COVID-19 pandemic has given rise to a lot of potentially dangerous misinformation. For reliable advice on COVID-19 including symptoms, prevention and available treatment, please refer to the World Health Organisation or your national healthcare authority.
Copied!