The government on Monday pledged free Covid vaccines for adults from June 21. PM Narendra Modi announced the decision to revert to the old system of centralised procurement of 75 percent doses for free distribution to the states, as was the case before May 1.
Under fire for its Covid-19 vaccination strategy, the Centre on Monday decided to procure and supply vaccines free to states for inoculating all adults. The new strategy, which is a complete Uturn on the current liberalised vaccination policy, will be implemented in two weeks, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a televised address to the nation.
Until now, the Centre was procuring 50% of the Covid-19 vaccine stock in the country for vaccinating those aged 45 years or above and frontline and healthcare workers free of cost. States were procuring 25% of the stock for those aged 18-44 years, and the remaining 25% was being bought by private hospitals.
The liberalised vaccination strategy, which expanded the vaccination drive to all adults, was implemented from May 1 and had led to severe vaccine shortage in many states. . The Supreme Court of India also recently termed the vaccination policy for those aged 18-44 years as "prima facie arbitrary and irrational", as these beneficiaries were expected to pay high prices for getting the jab.
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