Covid-19 vaccines to all adults free of cost from June 21

Bengaluru: From Monday, the government will provide free vaccination for all those between the 18-44 age group. This comes under the centralised free vaccination policy.

The health ministry, in a briefing on Friday, had said that the states would facilitate the demand and vaccination capabilities of private hospitals in the state and ensure the administration of vaccinations. Dr VK Paul, Member, Health of the Niti Aayog said, “There will be a systematic flow of vaccines to the private sector as well. I am hopeful that in this way, there will be a lot of energy in the participation of the private sector and vaccination sites will increase.”

At the beginning of this month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the centre will take up the vaccination drive which was earlier carried partly by the states since May 1.

The Centre’s new policy came after few days of slamming the vaccination drive of 18+ and referring to it as “arbitrary and irrational”.

Here are the details of the new vaccination policy…

-The Centre will provide free vaccines to the states for all above 18 years of age. The centre will buy 75 per cent of the total vaccine production from vaccine manufacturers and give it to the state government without charging any amount.

-No state government will have to pay money for the vaccines.

-All those who are above 18 years will get free vaccination at government facilities from June 21. (Many states were already giving free vaccines to all those above 18)

-The free vaccine doses provided by the Centre to the states will be given on some criteria such as population, disease burden, and the progress of vaccination.

-Private hospitals will continue to procure 25 per cent of vaccines from the manufacturers directly.

-Service charge of private hospitals to be capped at Rs 150 per dose one fixed price of the vaccine.

-The state government will monitor the same.

-All government and private hospitals will set up vaccination centres for individuals or groups of individuals. For this, a detailed procedure is to be finalised and published by the states/UTs.

-Also, States may optimally utilise the Common Service Centres and call Centres to facilitate prior booking by citizens.