While addressing the nation on Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared that all adults would be given the vaccine free of cost. This would be implemented from June 21, 2021. He further clarified the percentage of vaccine going to be distributed to the state governments.
Earlier today, PM Modi addressed the nation making some major announcements about the COVID-19 pandemic situation in the country. He further spoke about Monday being the day recording the lowest number of positive cases of COVID-19 in 61 days. Today’s count went up to 100,636 new cases.
The vaccines were made available to all adults on May 1. Initially, the vaccines were only being given to frontline workers and persons above the age of 45-years and then the adults above the age of 18 were made eligible for vaccination. Talking about the latest announcements in the case of vaccines, PM Modi declared that from June 21 all individuals above the age of 18-years would be given the vaccine free of cost. He said, “It has been decided that from June 21, all adults over the age of 18 will be vaccinated free.”
Further, PM Modi said in a televised address that 75 per cent of the vaccine will be bought from the manufacturers by the central government. The central government will also bear the expenses of 25 per cent of the states’ quota and give the COVID-19 vaccine free of cost to the state governments.
PM Modi added, “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.”
He said, “State governments will not have to spend anything on the vaccine. Crores of people of the country have got free vaccine till now and now people of 18 years of age will also join it.”
The Prime Minister of the country capped the price of the vaccine at Rs 150 for private hospitals that can obtain 25 per cent of the vaccine from the manufacturers.
Picture Credit: Business Standard