Here Are The 16 States That Will Provide COVID-19 Vaccine For Free From May 1

In light of the Central government decision to allow vaccination of everyone above 18 years of age, at least 16 states have decided to inoculate the maximum number of people against the disease their population against COVID-19 free of cost.

COVID-19 has killed 1,89,544 and infected more than 16 million in India so far.

India's biggest COVID vaccine maker Serum Institute of India announced a price of ?400 per dose for its 'Covishield' vaccine for state governments and ?600 per dose for private hospitals.

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Here are the states which have made the vaccine doses free of cost:

1. Madhya Pradesh

The Madhya Pradesh government announced that all people above the age of 18 years will be offered the COVID-19 vaccine free of cost. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said, "A detailed guidelines of the Government of India will be issued later, but the people above the age of 18 will be vaccinated for free in Madhya Pradesh."

2. Jammu and Kashmir

The Jammu and Kashmir government announced free vaccine for people above the age of 18.

"It has been decided that Covid-19 vaccination for people in the age group of 18 to 45 years will be free of cost in the Union Territory, and the cost of the vaccine will be borne by the government of Jammu and Kashmir,' a statement from the office of Jammu and Kashmir¡¯s Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha read.

3. Himachal Pradesh

The Himachal Pradesh government also announced that the state will provide the Covid-19 vaccine free of cost to people between the ages of 18 and 44 years from May 1.

4. Goa

Goa will vaccinate adults between the ages of 18 to 45 against COVID-19 free of cost, it announced on Thursday.

"I am pleased to convey Government approval to provide Covid-19 vaccine doses to all population in the age group 18-45 through the state government free of cost," Gaunekar said in the letter.

5. Kerala

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the state government will provide the vaccine against Covid-19 free of cost for everyone in the state.

6. Chhattisgarh

The Chhattisgarh government announced this week that free Covid-19 vaccine will be provided for all above the age of 18 in the state. Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel said the state government will pay for the vaccination of people over 18 years of age. An official statement read, 'We will take all possible steps to protect the lives of our citizens.'

7. Bihar

The Bihar government will provide free COVID-19 vaccine to everyone above the age of 18, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar announced on Wednesday.

"The Bihar government will provide Covid-19 vaccine free of cost to all above 18 years of age in the state," Kumar tweeted.

8. Jharkhand

The state government of Jharkhand will provide free vaccination to all above 18 years, Chief Minister Hemant Soren announced.

"In Jharkhand, the corona vaccine will be provided free of cost to people above the age of 18 by the state government," Soren said in a tweet on Thursday night.

9. Uttar Pradesh

BJP national general secretary BL Santhosh on Tuesday announced that Uttar Pradesh will vaccinate the population above 18 years free of cost.

10. Assam

The Assam government will also provide free COVID-19 vaccine to its people above the age of 18.

11. Sikkim

Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang on Wednesday announced that the state government will provide free Covid-19 vaccine to all citizens between 18 to 45 years. He said that the state government will bear the cost of the vaccine if the centre refuses to do so.

12. West Bengal

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced free vaccination for those who are above 18 in her state.

13. Tamil Nadu

The Tamil Nadu government on Thursday said it will provide free Covid-19 vaccination for all when the next phase of inoculation drive covering all above 18 years would start.

14. Andhra Pradesh

Deputy Chief Minister Alla Krishna Srinivas announced that the government has decided to provide the Covid-19 vaccine free of cost to all above the age of 18 years.

15. Telangana

The Telangana government will give the Covid-19 vaccine free of cost to the entire population in the state irrespective of their age, Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao announced on Saturday.

16. Haryana

Everyone above 18 years of age will be vaccinated free of cost at government hospitals in Haryana, said Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Saturday.