As India is trying to overcome the second wave of the Wuhan virus, the newly elected state government of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) in Tamil Nadu under the leadership of Chief Minister MK Stalin has floated a global tender for 3.5 crore doses of Covid-19 vaccine and has allowed the Chinese vaccine makers to file tender.
A senior official from Tamil Nadu told IANS “We are allowing every product (vaccine) as long as it is approved by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and licensed by the Drugs Controller General of India (DGCI),”.
As of now, six vaccines have been approved by WHO and three by DCGI. There has been no approval given for Chinese vaccines by Government of India. However, the DMK government has not banned Chinese bidders from participating based on ’emergency’.
It is worth noting that Maharashtra state government has disqualified companies located in countries sharing borders with India from participating in the bid, ergo disqualifying Chinese vaccine manufacturers.
The move of Tamil Nadu CM Stalin to allow China to participate in the tender has received flak from many quarters.
Tamil Nadu's global tender for vaccines invites Chinese bidders.
— News18 (@CNNnews18) May 16, 2021
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Perfect vaccine for Dravidian stock. Who cares about clinical trials and side effects when you love China more than India. https://t.co/TNJxEaMYX3
— Aishwarya Hariharan (@aishwaryapvh) May 17, 2021
Let the #DravidianStock be the first to use #Sinovac .. Nalla vanthuchu #விடியல் 🤦🏽♀️🤦🏽♀️🤦🏽♀️ #விடியல்_எப்போது_ஸ்டாலின் #விடியல்_சுடுகாட்டில் #விடியல்தாருங்கள் https://t.co/1glXlLWg3B
— Drifter (@Soujugada) May 16, 2021
The very “rational, scientific minded” DMK is open to the Sinopharm vaccine – which everyone with a brain knows is a dud. MK Stalin & Ma Subramanian are absolute nitwits. Even Uddhav Thackeray hasn’t allowed Sinopharm. https://t.co/8RmffThHWG
— PriyaRaju (@PriyaRaju) May 16, 2021
It is to be noted that the Chinese vaccines have a low efficacy rate when compared to Made in India vaccines like COVAXIN and Covishield. Reports have emerged that anyone from Pakistan who is traveling to Saudi Arabia and has been administered the Chinese vaccine will still have to undergo quarantine the efficacy. Many have stated that Sinopharm is perhaps the worst amongst all vaccines.
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