After receiving a barrage of criticism for poor planning on the Covid vaccination drive, the central government has released a list on Thursday, giving justification on how it has boosted the country's inoculation programme.

Besides, the Centre's statement has also come close on the heels of states temporarily halting vaccination drive for certain age groups due to the shortage of the jabs.

The Niti Aayog member Dr Vinod Paul has discarded allegations especially made by a section of political leaders that the "Centre is not doing enough to buy vaccines from abroad".

Dr Paul highlighted that multiple rounds of discussions have happened with Pfizer, Jhonson & Johnson, and Moderna from mid-2020. "However, it is not that their vaccines are available in free supply. We need to understand that buying vaccines internationally is not similar to buying ‘off the shelf items. Vaccines are in limited supply globally, and companies have their priorities, game-plans, and compulsions in allocating finite stocks," Dr Paul said in an official statement.

Paul, who is a Member (Health) in NITI Aayog and Chair of the National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for Covid-19 (NEGVAC) stated that "As soon as Pfizer indicated vaccine availability, Central government and the company are working together for the earliest possible import of the vaccine".

The other myths that the health ministry highlighted were:

1. Centre has not approved vaccines available globally

The health ministry said the Central government has proactively eased the entry of vaccines approved by US FDA, EMA, UK's MHRA and Japan's PMDA, and WHO's Emergency Use Listing into India in April. These vaccines will not need to undergo prior bridging trials. It further said that provision has now been further amended to waive off the trial requirement altogether for the well-established vaccines manufactured in other countries.

2. Centre is not doing enough to ramp up domestic production of vaccines

The health ministry has discarded this claim and said it is playing an effective facilitator to enable more companies to produce vaccines from early 2020. There is only one Indian firm (Bharat Biotech) that has the IP. The Centre has ensured that three other companies/plants will start production of Covaxin apart from enhancing Bharat Biotech’s plants.

According to the central government, "Covaxin production by Bharat Biotech is being increased from under one crore per month to 10 crore month by October. With constant encouragement from the Government, Serum Institute is ramping up Covishield production of 6.5 crore doses per month to 11.0 crore doses per month. GoI is also ensuring in partnership with Russia that Sputnik will be manufactured by 6 companies coordinated by Dr Reddy’s".

The Union Government is supporting the efforts of Zydus Cadila, BioE as well Gennova for their respective indigenous vaccines through liberal funding under the Covid Suraksha scheme, it added.

3. Centre should invoke compulsory licensing

Highlighting this as a myth, the Centre said 'compulsory licensing' was not an attractive option as it required active partnership, training of human resources, sourcing of raw materials, and highest levels of biosafety labs.

The Centre claimed that it has gone one step ahead of Compulsory Licensing and was ensuring an active partnership between Bharat Biotech and three other entities to enhance the production of Covaxin.

4. Centre has abdicated its responsibility to the states

Rejecting this claim, the central government said it is doing all the heavy-lifting, from funding vaccine manufacturers to giving them quick approvals to ramping up production to bringing foreign vaccines to India. "The vaccine procured by the Centre is supplied wholly to the states for free administration to people," the statement added.

On global tender for the vaccine, the Centre said: "The fact that global tenders have not given any results only reaffirms what we have been telling the states from day one: that vaccines are in short supply in the world and it is not easy to procure them at short notice".

Moreover, the Centre also defended that it was allowing enough vaccines to the states in a transparent manner.

"In the non-GoI channel, states are getting 25% of the doses and private hospitals are getting 25% doses," it added.

5. Centre is not taking any step to vaccinate children

Calling it a myth, the health ministry said that no country in the world was vaccinating children. However, it added that trials in children in India are also going to begin soon.