Dubai: India will give free vaccines to all its citizens above the age of 18 from June 21, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday.
In an address to the nation, Modi said all vaccines procured by the government will be given to the states for free.
He said 25% of vaccination work with states will now be handled by the Centre and will be implemented in the coming two weeks.
The Prime Minister said the Indian government itself would buy 75 per cent of the total vaccine production from vaccine manufacturers and give it free to the state governments.
Modi also said that 25 per cent of the vaccines being made in the country will be provided directly to the private sector hospitals while they will be able to charge a maximum service fee of Rs 150 for a single dose after the fixed price of the vaccine.
"The task of monitoring it will remain with the state governments," the Prime Minister added.
"No state government of the country will have to spend anything on the vaccine," Modi said.
"Whether it is the poor, the lower middle class, the middle class, or the upper middle class, under the federal government programme, every one will get free vaccines," he said.
Under the earlier policy, the federal government gave free vaccines to the elderly and frontline workers, and left state governments and private hospitals to administer doses for a fee to people in the 18-45 age group.
It was decided on Monday that the government of India will also bear the responsibility of 25 per cent of the work related to vaccination with the state governments, said the Prime Minister, adding "this arrangement will be implemented in the coming two weeks."
"In these two weeks, the central and state governments will together make necessary preparations according to the new guidelines."
India has been inoculating its people with the AstraZeneca vaccine produced locally by the Serum Institute of India and Covaxin made by local firm Bharat Biotech. It will commercially launch Russia's Sputnik V shots by mid-June.
Modi also announced that COVID-19 vaccine supply would increase in the country in coming days and trial for three more vaccines is going on.
"Due to the continuous efforts and hard work that the country has been doing for a long time, the supply of vaccine is going to increase even more in the coming days.
"Currently, seven companies are producing different types of vaccines in the country and trial of three more vaccines is also going on in advanced stage," Modi said.
- with inputs from IANS
