The Central government has informed both the companies -- Bharat Biotech International Limited (BBIL) and Serum Institute of India (SII), who manufactured the coronavirus vaccine, will be liable to pay damages, said sources.
According to the purchase deal, the company shall be liable for all adversaries as per CDSCO/Drugs and Cosmetics Act/ DCGI Policy/approval. Companies also have to inform the government in case of serious adverse advents, reads the contract of BBIL. The purchase agreement has spelt this out clearly.
The Centre has stated that extending indemnity was 'out of question'. The query was specifically regarding the Government of India's talks with Pfizer that has insisted on indemnity in India, similar to the kind it got in the UK.
Significantly, the CEO of Serum Institute, Adar Poonwalla, said that the companies making the vaccine should get compensation from the government in all legal matters. According to him, many types of false claims will start coming in, which will be difficult to handle and this will not only affect the confidence of the vaccine makers, but will also affect the trust of the general public too.
BBIL and SII has repeatedly raised this issue with the regulator. He said that he is making the vaccine under very exceptional circumstances. However, it is now clear that the government has not agreed to it.
The Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch the vaccination drive in India from January 16. In the first phase, the government is aiming to vaccinate around 300 million people, which includes healthcare workers and frontline warriors.
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