Thread by @DrEricDing

Horrible—India 🇮🇳 government **will not import #COVID19 vaccines** itself, but expects states and companies to acquire them on their own—a “recipe for disaster”.

Having spoken to J&J, Moderna, Pfizer—my India source says “there is no way this will work”!
sg.news.yahoo.com/news/exclusive…

2) But the sources said New Delhi was now leaving it up to India's states and companies to sign deals with foreign drugmakers

3) The worst-hit state, Maharashtra, has said it will float a global tender to import vaccines. It is the richest state in India but many poorer ones may fall behind without financial support from the federal government to buy doses from abroad.

4) "The situation is desperate," one of the government officials, told Reuters. "India will allow import of vaccines" by local partners of the drug companies but the federal government "won’t buy".

5) The second government official said: "I don't think the government will be buying foreign vaccines."
Both officials have direct knowledge of the matter but declined to be named due to the sensitivity of the issue.

6) Under fire for his uneven handling of the world's worst COVID-19 surge, Modi has opened vaccinations for all adults from next month but supplies are already running short.

7) India has administered nearly 140 million doses to its frontline workers and those aged above 45 years. About 118 million people have received at least one dose of the vaccine, which is only about a tenth of the 1.35 billion population.

8) India is just doing fantastic with their vaccine rollout — if you squint you can see topping the world with 1.6%. (Sarcasm)

Yet Modi thinks his government doesn’t need to acquire vaccines - local states and companies will handle any foreign import purchases on their own?!?!

9) I feel... like India needs to order more vaccines... instead of leaving pandemic response to regional COVID oxygen crisis deniers like this dude.

https://twitter.com/drericding/status/1386576298072477696

10) I feel the dumb decision of Indian federal government not ordering vaccines is going down in history like Boris Johnson’s comment to “let the bodies pile high”. Kinda tied I’m more or less feeling.

https://twitter.com/drericding/status/1386531615925493763

11) Is India’s vaccine shortage due to negligence? Well, just for yourself ...

https://twitter.com/sagarikaghose/status/1386615310749343747

12) Also to be clear, there is no export ban on vaccine raw materials. WH supply coordinator explains below.

Don’t believe the “export ban” narrative.

https://twitter.com/timmy315/status/1386668885064228865