India in discussion to buy 50 million Pfizer COVID vaccine doses: Report
New Delhi: India is in talks to buy 50 million doses of Pfizer Inc and German partner BioNTech SE's COVID-19 vaccine, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter.
A Pfizer spokesperson said it was in talks with the government to supply vaccines, but declined to provide further details. The Indian health ministry did not immediately respond to Reuters request for comment.
To be sure, the drugmaker has not yet sought permission for use of its vaccine in India.
India rolled out one of the world's largest vaccination drives earlier this year and has been relying heavily on the AstraZeneca vaccine produced by the Serum Institute of India and a home-grown shot produced by Bharat Biotech.
While the coronavirus cases in the country have eased from a devastating peak in April and May, government officials have said the second wave is not over.
Last week, the country approved J&J's one-shot vaccine for emergency use, adding to the vaccines from AstraZeneca, Bharat Biotech, Russia's Gamaleya Institute and Moderna that have been granted such approval.
Read also: JnJ gets DCGI emergency use approval for single dose COVID vaccine
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