Is Pfizer pushing its vaccine in India through famous people?

A section of famous people on social media have been pushing for the Pfizer vaccine in India. These individuals are of the view that India has blundered by not allowing the vaccine early on.

India’s vaccination programme is majorly dependent for now on Covishield, Covaxin and Sputnik V (in the near future). What stopped the Indian government from making Pfizer an important weapon in the Covid battle?

It’s said that each dose of Pfizer vaccine would up to Rs 2500 to Rs 4000. Is this even affordable for most? People spend thousands on testing and medicines when they come sick, but they hesitate to spend thousands on a single vaccine shot. As it is, Covishield’s price of Rs 400 had to be reduced to Rs 300 by SII as a “philanthropic gesture”. Still, there are noises asking for its price to be reduced to Rs 150! 

Pfizer is said to have insisted on an indemnity clause, besides its vaccines requiring a lot of investment in cold storage. 

And what about countries that have made Pfizer orders? “Australia is yet to receive its Pfizer doses ordered much before December. It has been receiving the vaccines in trickles of a few 1000 doses. Even if India had approved Pfizer wouldn’t have been able to supply in meaningful quantities given its production constraints,” writes Arun Vel, a banker. 

Aren’t these realities not known to those lunging for the Pfizer vaccine? Given their intellectual skills, they must be knowing the details for sure. But they are likely doing paid advertizing for Pfizer. Pharma giants have PR agents, mind you.