A single global tender for vaccine procurement Updated: Updated: May 25, 2021 00:16 IST The scramble by the States is destined to be inequitable and inefficient and portrays lack of coordination Share Article AAA The scramble by the States is destined to be inequitable and inefficient and portrays lack of coordination With only 20 million vaccine shots available for the entire month of May for the 600 million people aged 18-44 years in India, many State governments have resorted to floating global tenders for COVID-19 vaccines. This situation is another example of political promises being made without sufficient planning. It also points to a lack of political will to find sustainable solutions; inadequate coordination between States and the Union government; and a focus on optics during a public health emergency of unprecedented magnitude. Each of these is an indictment of the response to the pandemic in India. If not now, when can the Indian state be more responsive and responsible?