GOOD NEWS! Free COVID-19 vaccines for ALL adults, NEW vaccination policy begins TODAY - check all details here

COVID-19 Vaccines: The centralised vaccination policy in India begins today, under which free COVID-19 vaccines will be provided to all citizens in the country who are above 18 years of age. The announcement regarding this centralised vaccination policy was made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in an address to the nation on television.

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In his address on the national television on June 7, 2021, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the central government would take over the nationwide vaccination drive. He further stated that the central government would procure 75 per cent of the vaccines and give them to the states for free distribution to all citizens above 18 years of age. Furthermore, the central government will handle the 25 per cent vaccination that was with the states as of now under the liberalised vaccination policy announced earlier.

As per an ANI report, on Friday, in a briefing, the health ministry said that the states would be playing a facilitatory role by aggregating demand and vaccination capabilities of private hospitals in the state, ensuring the administrations of vaccines. It has to be noted that earlier, the Union Ministry of Health had capped the prices of the vaccines at private hospitals. As per the Union Ministry of Health, the prices for Covishield and Covaxin have been fixed at Rs 780 and Rs 1410, respectively while the price of Sputnik V has been capped at Rs 1145 at the private hospitals.

The PM in his address had stated that the private hospitals will continue to buy the remaining 25 per cent and administer to those who are willing to pay for the COVID-19 vaccine shots. However, the private hospitals will not be allowed to charge more than Rs 150 as service charge over the fixed prices of the vaccines.

The Prime Minister said, "Whether it is the poor, the lower middle class, the middle class or the upper middle class, under the central government programme, everyone will get free vaccines."

The COVID-19 vaccination drive in the country began in the country on January 16, 2021. The Prime Minister then announced the inclusion of all adults above 18 years of age under the vaccination drive from May 1, 2021. As per the data from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, 27.66 crore COVID-19 vaccination doses have been administered so far under the nationwide vaccination drive as on June 20, 2021.