Prime Minister Modi said that from June 21, the Centre will provide free vaccines to the states for all citizens above the age of 18 years
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while addressing the nation today through a video speech on Monday, announced free Covid vaccines for every Indian for which the Centre will handle the inoculation process from June 21.
Prime Minister Modi said that from June 21, the Centre will provide free vaccines to the states for all citizens above the age of 18 years. “The Government of India itself will buy 75% of the total vaccine production from vaccine manufacturers and give it free to the state governments,” he said.
“Vaccine supply will be increasing in the coming days. Seven companies in the country are producing different vaccines while three vaccine trials are at advanced stage,” PM Modi said.
Mr Modi informed, “To increase vaccine availability, the process of procuring vaccines from abroad has been sped up.”
“Experts have also expressed concerns about children. In this direction, the trial of two vaccines is underway. Research is being conducted for a nasal vaccine in the country,” he added.
Addressing the nation on the country’s response to Covid’s devastating second wave, the Prime Minister further said that new health infrastructure has been developed in the last one-and-a-half year with COVID hospitals, ventilators beds, to preparing a network of testing labs.
“This is the deadliest pandemic in the past 100 years. The modern world has not seen such a pandemic. Our country has fought this pandemic at many levels,” PM Modi said.
During the second wave in April-May, demand for medical oxygen increased at an unprecedented rate, he stated.
Meanwhile, Mr Modi announced that the government has decided to extend Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana till Diwali. “80 crore poor families will be provided free ration, under the scheme,” he said.
It is pertinent to mention that the second wave of COVID-19 cases are witnessing a downward trend.
According to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, India’s daily new COVID-19 cases fell sharply on Monday, with the country recording 1,00,636 new cases.
