Mumbai gets 8 bids for its global Covid-19 vaccine tender

Pfizer said it has not authorised supply to the country, reaffirms talks with Centre

Mumbai’s governing civic body said it has received eight bids in response to its global tender to procure one crore Covid-19 vaccine doses. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) also claimed that one of the bids came from a Czech company for the supply of a mix of Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines, which the US-based Pfizer says it has not authorised.

The deadline for bids in response to the BMC’s Rs 700 crore global tender ended on Tuesday but was extended to allow bidders to submit documents in support of their bids and also to entertain more bids.

“We have received 8 bids in response to BMC Global Expression of Interest for procurement of 1 crore vaccine doses till date. One bid is for Pfizer/AstraZeneca & remaining 7 bids are for Sputnik,” BMC Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal was quoted as saying in a tweet by ANI.

While the municipal corporation will discuss the details provided by the bidders, a Pfizer spokesperson said that the company had not authorised the use of its import or distribution of its vaccine in the country, saying it would only deal with the Centre.

"As we have maintained all along, during this pandemic phase, across the world, Pfizer will supply the Covid-19 vaccine only to central Governments and supra-national organisations for deployment in national immunization programs," a Pfizer spokesperson said.

"The allocation of doses and implementation plan within a country is a decision for local governments based on relevant health authority guidance.”

Previously, Pfizer refused to sell its vaccines directly to states, rebuffing approaches from Delhi and Punjab.

Also read — Pfizer, Moderna turned us down, say Punjab & Delhi govts; Centre says booking full

The Pfizer/AstraZeneca bid was received from a Czech company called O2 Blue Energy SRL, which claims it can provide a mix of both the vaccines in a month, Chahal told NDTV.

Mumbai floated the global tender for vaccines as supplies run low and the Centre has offloaded much of the responsibility of vaccinating the 18-44 age group onto states. The tender came with the condition that the companies offering bids should have their own cold chain for vaccine transport and delivery or should be able to furnish a valid contract with an agent for the same.