Indian government begins free vaccination for all |
Starting 21 June 2021, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi`s government began implementing its policy on vaccination strategy to provide free COVID-19 vaccine to all Indian citizens above 18 years of age. The federal government will arrange for free vaccines at its centres as well as give it free to all the states and union territories of India. India began the world`s biggest vaccine drive on 16th January 2021. However, states and union territories were procuring the vaccine at discounted prices. There were delays due to to many reasons. So far, more than 280 million doses of vaccines have been given. But only 51 million people have received both jabs. India has a long way to go, and Modi government is giving emergency approvals to proven and foreign approved vaccines for import, ramping up production of earlier two and newly approved vaccines. Against this backdrop, Modi had announced earlier this month "Whether it is the poor, the lower middle class, the middle class, or the upper-middle class, under the central government program, everyone will get free vaccines,". The federal government would procure 75 percent of vaccines and give them to states for free distribution to all citizens above the age of 18. It would also handle the 25 percent vaccination entrusted to the states till now under the liberalized plan announced earlier. The health ministry says that the states would be playing a facilitatory role by aggregating demand and vaccination capabilities of private hospitals in the state and ensure the administrations of vaccinations. Vaccine doses will be allocated to states based on criteria such as population, disease burden, and the progress of vaccination. Private hospitals will continue to buy the remaining 25 percent and inoculate those willing to pay for their jabs.
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