The Indian government could likely be in favor of providing compensation to foreign vaccine manufacturers like Moderna and Pfizer. The companies have sought legal protection from claims related to the use of their Covid-19 vaccines before the vaccinations roll out in India.
Sources in the government have said that Pfizer has already hinted that it may make some doses available by July 2021. A source in the government said about the indemnity clause that the government would likely review the rules and practices followed in other countries on granting damages.
“Why should India want to stop manufacturers? When compensation is the only hurdle, this will be examined by the government based on international practice, “the source said.
This also comes on a day when India’s drug regulatory agency issued a statement that vaccines that have already been approved in the UK and Japan and are also on the WHO prequalified list do not need to conduct bridging studies in India.
India Today TV approached Pfizer India for comment on the ongoing negotiations as Pfizer is reported to start delivering vaccines in tranches of $ 1 billion from July.
Pfizer said, “This is an ongoing discussion with the government so we cannot confirm any more. As of May, we shipped more than 430 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine worldwide and our shipping accuracy is 99.9. We are continuing to increase production capacity to over 2.5 billion vaccine doses in 2021. “
“As we have been claiming all along, during this pandemic phase, Pfizer will only supply the COVID-19 vaccine worldwide to central governments and supranational organizations for use in national vaccination programs. The allocation of doses and the implementation plan within a country are a decision by local governments based on relevant guidelines from health authorities, ”Pfizer said.
Pfizer has already secured a nod from the other countries including the UK and USA. However, the Indian Medicines Agency has not granted the manufacturers of any of the three Covid-19 vaccines that have been granted an Emergency Authorization (EUA) compensation for the cost of compensation for severe side effects.
Pfizer, which has received EUAs in several countries, received compensation prior to the launch of its vaccine. You have also demanded damages from all nations that should be released from liability.
As for Moderna, there is still some clarity to be found on the number of doses of vaccine they can provide to India. Sources have stated that Moderna isn’t planning to hit the market in India until next year with a single-dose vaccine it is working on.
Negotiations are ongoing between the government and foreign vaccine manufacturers to accelerate the introduction of more vaccines.
Government sources said discussions are still ongoing with no final decision. Pfizer is seeking a indemnity guarantee that will indemnify it from all action should its vaccine cause side effects in the people who receive it in India.
Government sources also said the government’s efforts are largely being driven by domestic manufacturers expanding their production lines. The government is looking for companies that manufacture vaccines in India for reasons of logistics and affordability.
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