Mumbai: BMC extends Covid-19 vaccine global tender deadline

A medic vaccinates a woman at Shri Cinema Municipal Hospital, Mahim, on Tuesday. Pic/Ashish Raje

Relaxed after the Centre extended the Covishield vaccine interval to 16 to 18 weeks, the BMC has extended the bidding deadline for its global tender, floated to procure 1 crore vaccine doses from the foreign market.

The civic body, which received no bids in a week, has set the new deadline of May 25. It is expecting to get Russian vaccine Sputnik V, and is also willing to consider vaccines developed by Moderna, Pfizer-BioNTech and Johnson & Johnson.

But, bordering countries aren't allowed, which means no Chinese vaccines.

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A civic official said, "We have extended the date as we want more players to join and help us procure vaccines. We received a few queries but they lacked documents. We are hoping they get the necessary papers in a few days and bid for the tender." Once the bidder has been given work order, it will have to provide the vaccines within three weeks.

Meanwhile, the BMC is relaxed since the interval extension in the two-dose Covishield regime, as it has got more time to stock up for the second dose, officials said.

The civic body has decided that walk-ins will be allowed for 60 plus citizens on Wednesday for the first dose of Covishield and for those above 45 years for the second Covaxin dose. Tuesday witnessed a huge turnout of senior citizens as walk-ins were allowed at various centres across the city.

A total of 16,754 beneficiaries were inoculated at civic, government and private centres on Tuesday. No cases of adverse effects were reported.