Still No Clarity On Free COVID Vaccine For All Indians As States Announce It For Their People

Will it be free, and will all Indians get one, and if they do when will it be? Nobody seems to have a clear answer yet about the COVID-19 vaccine in India.

In October, Union minister of state for animal husbandry and MSME Pratap Sarangi had said, ¡°The prime minister has made it clear from the very beginning that vaccines will be provided free of cost in the entire country. Provision of funds has been made,¡±

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However, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan had recently said that the government of India never said it will vaccinate the entire country.

"I just want to make this clear that the government has never spoken about vaccinating the entire country" Bhushan had said.

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On Tuesday, the Union Health Ministry released guidelines for the mass vaccination drive that will begin once the frontrunner candidates are available for emergency usage. Under Phase 1 of the vaccination drive, the government is planning to vaccinate nearly 30 crore people, which will include healthcare and frontline workers. Those above 50 years of age will also get priority. The Health Ministry has also planned to include 20 different ministries in the rollout drive.

No clarity

While there is still no clarity on the cost of it and who is going to pay for it, several states have already announced that the COVID-19 vaccine will be administered for everyone in their respective states.

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Bihar first state to announce free vaccine for everyone in state

Bihar has become the latest state to announce free COVID-19 vaccine for everyone there.

Incidentally, free COVID-19 vaccine for everyone in Bihar was one of the poll promises of the NDA ahead of the recent assembly elections.

"As soon as COVID-19 vaccine will be available for production at a mass scale every person in Bihar will get free vaccination. This is the first promise mentioned in our poll manifesto.¡± Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman who released the BJP's manifesto for Bihar had said.

Kerala too

Last week, the Kerala government had announced that the COVID-19 vaccine will be made available free of cost to all people in the state.

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¡°No one will be charged for the vaccine. This is the stand of the government," Kerala, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on Saturday.

Tamil Nadu and MP also

Two more states, Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh have also announced free COVID-19 vaccines for their people, whenever it is available.

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As far as Delhi is concerned, health minister Satyender Jain had said that Delhi's residents have been receiving all vaccines free of cost, which means the COVID vaccine too will not be charged.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had said that the vaccine should be available to all Indians for free.