Mumbai, June 07, 2021:
In his latest address to the nation earlier today, in a welcome move not a minute too late, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced an important development, effectively centralizing India’s vaccine policy in its fight against COVID-19.
India reported its lowest figures in two months at 1,00,636 new Covid-19 cases and 2,427 deaths, after a nightmarish second wave ravaged India’s urban and rural areas alike.
PM Modi announced that about twenty-five per cent of the vaccination mandate, currently under the purview of the states will now be taken over by the Centre.
On an important note, he announced that from June 21, all citizens above the age of 18 years are to get free vaccines in government health centres. They also have a choice to get inoculated at private institutions, where prices are to be capped.
Modi also mentioned about the availability of the vaccines, as production is expected to ramp up as India embarks on one of the largest vaccination drives in the world to reach some level of herd immunity.