The Indian government said Tuesday that it disagrees with estimates posted on Twitter about the money needed for the distribution of the Covid-19 vaccine in India.
The comment came in the context of a tweet by Serum Institute of India Executive Director Adar Poonawalla on Sept. 26, asking the government if there was ₹80 billion rupees over the next year for the distribution of the covid-19 vaccine to all people in India. He also indicated that the need for the amount was the “next challenge in question.”
“Will the government of India have Rs 80 billion available next year? Because that’s what @MoHFW_INDIA (health ministry) needs, buy and distribute the vaccine to everyone in India. This is the next challenge concerning that we must address, “Poonawalla tweeted
The CEO of the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer also said that all manufacturers and the government must plan and guide to meet the immense need for immunization against Covid-19.
However, the Health Ministry said it disagrees with such calculations on social media and also added that the national panel of experts on vaccine administration met 5 times on the modalities.
“In these meetings, we have reflected on the distribution of the Covid-19 vaccine and the amount required for it in terms of population prioritization and staggered immunization for this prioritization. To do this, we have calculated the required amount in meetings and currently, that amount is available with the government, “said Rajesh Bhushan, secretary of the Union Ministry of Health.
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