Keralites Are Donating Rs 800 To CMDRF For State To Buy COVID-19 Vaccines For Everyone There
After the Central government allowed everyone in the country to get COVID-19 vaccines from May 1, states have been caught up in a peculiar situation.
Until now the vaccines were directly supplied by the central government and the states were administering them to people.?
Under the changed policy, while the central government will continue to supply vaccines, which will be administered for free to those eligible - those above the age of 45.
For others, the states have found the vaccines themselves - buy directly from the vaccine makers at a price that is much higher than what they were selling them to the Central government.
Serum made vaccine price announcement
The Serum Institute that was selling a dose of Covishield to the Central government at Rs 150 will be offering the same to states at Rs 400 and Rs 600 for private hospitals.
Several states have openly criticized the policy change and pricing and demanded that Centre should continue to supply the vaccines to the states. They also argue that being forced to buy vaccines at a higher price is putting an additional financial burden on the states that are already struggling to find resources amid the pandemic.
While the debate is continuing, there is an interesting development in the state of Kerala. People are donating to the CM's Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF) to raise funds for the vaccines.
It started as #VaccineChallenge online and people were mostly contributing Rs 800, which is equivalent to the cost of the two doses of Covishield to CMDRF.
Though there were no official appeals or calls to do the same, the #VaccineChallenge took off as a protest against the center's policy and in just two days nearly Rs 40 lakhs has been contributed for the purpose.
A social media user who goes by the handle, Red Indian, tweeted that "Vaccine is a right. But since the union government has abdicated its responsibility" and the Kerala government has decided to take it up, "I, as a citizen, am contributing to the #CMDRF, Kerala."
"Keralites, since the central Govt has shamelessly passed all the burden to the states' shoulder on the price of vaccines, it's time for us to stand with our state and support it."
"Support everyone around you and please donate to CMDRF, irrespective of your political inclinations," a handle which goes by the name @Advaidism, tweeted.
Another user posted that he was sure that the Kerala government would provide vaccine free of cost for him and so he was donating the money for two doses of vaccine-- as per Serum Institute of India's price-- to Kerala CMDRF.
"This is the least I can do.I urge all my friends to do the same," the user tweeted.
A Keralite, who is settled in the UAE posted, said he received the vaccine free in that country.
"My parents in Kerala has taken the vaccine and I donate that amount to Kerala CMDRF as a small support to the government.#FreeVaccinetoAll," he tweeted.
Kerala, like many other states, had announced that COVID-19 vaccines will be administered free of cost to everyone.
Even after the new policy change, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan reiterated that it will be free for everyone.
"Vaccines will be provided free of cost for everyone in Kerala.We don't have the habit of changing our stance like others. We had announced free vaccines in the state," Vijayan had said.
