MP Govt to Float Global Tenders for Covid-19 Vaccines

Following steps of eight other states, Madhya Pradesh on Tuesday decided to float global tenders for covid-19 vaccine supply.

It was decided in a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan in Bhopal. Chouhan has directed the Dept of Health to float an early tender for the same.

The tenders will be floated for both Covishield and Covaxin, contrary to earlier stand where the state government was averse to floating global tenders for the supply of these vaccines.

Sources claimed that the issue of vaccine global tender wasn’t there in the cabinet meeting agenda but it was inducted into the agenda on the instructions of CM Chouhan.

Presently, the MP government is carrying on with the covid19 vaccination using covishield and covaxin. Sources in Mantralaya claimed that the state government was also exploring possibilities of Russian vaccine Sputnik which is expected to secure approvals in June.

To add, Delhi, UP, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, and Telangana have floated global tenders for the supply of covid19 vaccines.

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Post-May 1, the MP government had started vaccination for the 18-44 years -age group and had ordered 5.29 cr shots. However, overburdened companies are finding it difficult to supply vaccines in this many quantities, said sources.

To add, some other companies producing vaccines have decided to supply jabs directly to Centre and have declined to deal with states. Meanwhile, on Tuesday, Medical Education minister Vishwas Sarang has said that 18+ category people can go for on-the-spot registration without registering them on Cowin portal.

MP publicity department on Tuesday said that over one crore persons have been vaccinated in the state in various categories.

Meanwhile, still, vaccination is an issue in rural areas especially in far-flung pockets comprising the tribal population. The district administrations are busy allying fears with the help of non-government organizations.

Including 68 deaths, the state reported 2,422 fresh cases on Tuesday which includes –648 in Indore and 529 in Bhopal. The test positivity rate has shrunk to 3.3% in the state.

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