NEW DELHI, 7 Jun: The central government will provide free coronavirus vaccines to states for inoculation of all above the age of 18 from 21 June, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on Monday and asserted that vaccine supply would be increased significantly in the country in the coming days.
The Centre has decided to buy 75 percent of jabs from vaccine makers, including 25 percent of the state quota, and give it for free to state governments, the prime minister said in an address to the nation.
Private sector hospitals can continue to procure 25 percent of vaccines, but their service charge would be capped at Rs 150 per dose over a fixed price of the vaccine, Modi said.
The change in the government’s vaccine strategy comes days after the Supreme Court asked the Centre to place on record all relevant documents and file notings reflecting its thinking culminating in the Covid-19 vaccination policy, and states questioning the central government over the alleged shortage of vaccines.
Justice DY Chandrachud had questioned the vaccine procurement policy and also raised the issue of the digital divide questioning the policy of mandatory registration on CoWIN app for jabs.
“It has been decided today that the central government will take over the 25 percent doses assigned to states and this will be implemented in the next two weeks. From 21 June, the Centre will provide free vaccines to states… Till now, crores of people got free vaccines; now 18 years segment will be added to this,” Modi said.
“For all people, whether it is the poor, the lower middle class, the middle class, or the upper middle class, under the central government programme, everyone will get free vaccines,” the prime minister said.
While BJP leaders and ministers lauded Modi for the new vaccination policy, many others on social media were seen crediting the Supreme Court and Justice Chandrachud for the change in the strategy. Opposition Congress asked the government to stop creating confusion with changing policies and demanded that every citizen should get Rs 6,000 in their accounts along with free vaccination.
Modi said the Centre and states will make necessary preparations in the coming two weeks as per new guidelines.
While elaborating on the reasons for the change in the vaccination policy, Modi said as the Corona cases started declining, questions arose about the lack of choice for states and some people questioned why the central government is deciding everything.
Flexibility in lockdown and one-size-does-not-fit-all type of arguments were forwarded and the Centre took steps taking all such demands into account, he said.
Noting that starting from 16 January to April end, India’s vaccination programme was run mostly under the central government, Modi said free vaccination for all was moving forward and people were showing discipline in getting vaccinated when their turn came.
In the midst of all this, demands for decentralization of vaccination were raised, priority to certain age groups was questioned and many types of pressures were exerted and certain sections of media took it as a campaign, he said in an apparent attack on opposition parties and the state governments run by them.
After a lot of deliberations, it was decided that states’ demand should be taken into account and 25 percent of vaccine procurement was given to them from 1 May, for which they made efforts, Modi said.
However, he said, the states soon realized what kind of difficulties come in such a big work and by the passage of two weeks in May, some states started saying openly that the earlier system was better.
“Gradually many state governments started advocating this… It was a good thing that in time the states came forward again with the demand for reconsideration. On this demand, we also thought that the people of the country should not suffer and their vaccination should be done smoothly, for which, the old system which was in place before 1 May will be brought back,” he said.
Later, top official sources said India is on track to achieve its target of vaccinating the entire adult population by December as it will have a supply of 187.2 crore vaccine doses by the year-end, almost enough to account for full vaccination against Covid of 94 crore estimated 18-year plus population.
While India will have 53.6 crore doses between January and July, the availability of vaccines will increase to 133.6 crore doses between August and December with more firms supplying jabs and ramping up of production from the existing companies, they said.
In another major announcement, the prime minister said a decision has been taken to extend the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojna till Deepawali.
This means that till November, 80 crore people will continue to get a decided amount of free foodgrain every month.
During the pandemic, the government is standing with the poor for all his needs as his friend, the prime minister asserted.
As several states take cautious steps towards unlocking and easing of restrictions with a decline in Covid-19 cases, the prime minister said vaccination is like a protection shield against the virus and asserted that vaccine supply would be increased significantly in India in the coming days.
Modi said seven companies are producing various vaccines against the coronavirus in the country and trials of three more vaccines are at an advanced stage.
The process of procuring vaccines from companies of other countries has also been expedited, the prime minister said.
Amid concerns expressed by experts recently over children being affected by the virus, Modi said trials of two vaccines are being carried out in this direction.
Modi said research is continuing on a nasal spray vaccine which, if successful, can significantly boost India’s vaccination drive, he said.
India proved its mettle by making two made-in-India Covid-19 vaccines in a short time and over 23 crore doses have already been administered, the prime minister said.
Modi said that globally, vaccine producing companies and countries are far less than what is the global demand for the vaccines and in such a scenario, made in India vaccines were critical for India.
The prime minister pointed out that in the past, India used to get vaccines decades after they were developed abroad, and asserted that this always resulted in a situation in the past where India could not even start vaccination while other countries used to finish the vaccine work.
Modi said that by working in mission mode, “we raised the vaccination coverage from 60 percent to 90 percent in 5-6 years.”
“We not only enhanced the speed but also widened the ambit of vaccination,” he said.
This time, the prime minister said, India warded off all the apprehensions and through clean intentions, clear policy and constant hard work, not just one but two made-in-India vaccines for Covid were launched in India.
Modi also asserted that efforts are being made on a war footing to fight the Covid-19 pandemic at various levels and production of essential medicines was ramped up.
India is fighting against the Covid-19 pandemic on multiple fronts and new health infrastructure has been created across the country, he asserted.
India has gone through a lot of pain during this battle and many lost their loved ones, he noted and extended his condolences to the bereaved families.
The prime minister also warned against people who are spreading rumours against vaccination and said such people are playing with the lives of people and there was a need to stay vigilant against them.
Modi has addressed the nation a number of times since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic last year, the last being on 20 April, during which he has offered suggestions to the people and also outlined various measures his government has been taking to deal with the situation. (PTI)
