The Brazilian government on Wednesday halted the purchase of 2 crore vaccine doses from the domestic Covid-19 vaccine maker Bharat Biotech. This announcement on the suspension of the contract came after the allegations of irregularities in the deal. Responding to this, the Indian drugmaker insisting that it has not taken any advance payments.
In terms of signing the agreement, Brazil said it had followed the same policy as many other countries that had successfully supplied vaccine doses. The Brazilian Ministry of Health has announced that it has suspended the purchase of Covaxin vaccine on the recommendation of the country’s Comptroller General. The agreement was also reviewed by the Directorate of Integrity of the Department of Medicine, which said an investigation into the administrative aspects of the agreement is ongoing.
In response to Brazil’s decision, Bharat Biotech flatly denied any wrongdoing and said it had followed a step-by-step approach towards deals and regulatory approvals with Brazil.
“Bharat Biotech has followed a similar approach towards contracts, regulatory approvals and supplies in several countries worldwide, where Covaxin is being supplied successfully,” the company said.