Pfizer, Moderna won't sell vaccines to states, will deal with Centre: Arvind Kejriwal

Kejriwal has therefore appealed to the central government to import vaccines and distribute them to the states.

"We've spoken to Pfizer and Moderna for vaccines, and both the manufacturers have refused to sell vaccines directly to us. They have said they will deal with the central government. We appeal to the centre to import vaccines and distribute them to the states," the Chief Minister of the national capital said, as quoted by NDTV.

Slamming Kejriwal, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which rules the Centre, reminded the Chief Minister that the union government only distributed the vaccines to the states so far.

BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya tweeted, " Arvind Kejriwal must answer the following: 1. Who has provided all the vaccine to Delhi so far if not the Center? 2. What happened to the orders Delhi government placed with SII and BB on 26Apr? 3. Has Delhi government raised invoice and given advance to these firms? If not, why?"

Kejriwal's comment came a day after Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said Moderna had refused to sell vaccines directly to the states.

India, which has the second highest total COVID-19 caseload after the United States, is struggling to cope with the second wave of the deadly virus.

The country's COVID-19 toll on Monday crossed the three-lakh mark as 4,454 people died apparently due to the virus in the last 24 hours.

Above all, India is running out of anti-COVID-19 vaccines at a time the poor health infrastructure of the South Asian country is overwhelmed with the influx of patients.