New Vaccination Policy
44 Cr of COVID-19 vaccine doses ordered after change in vaccination policy
New Delhi/IBNS: Forty four crore doses of Covid-19 vaccine will be made available to the country from August this year, including 25 crore doses of Covishield and 19 crore doses of crore doses of Covaxin, to achieve universalization of vaccination, the Union Health Ministry said Tuesday.
These doses will be made available from August to December this year.
The announcement came a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a new vaccination policy amid reports of countrywide vaccine shortage, forcing many states to shut several vaccination centres.
Last week, the Centre booked 30 crore doses of Hyderabad-based Biological-E's Covid vaccine, which is undergoing clinical trials.
The new policy takes back the responsibility of vaccination purchase from the states, requiring the Centre to spend around Rs 50,000 crore.
Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the funds are available for the purpose.
The Centre has repeatedly blamed the states for the vaccine policy introduced in May that derailed the immunisation process, saying that the states asked to purchase the vaccine on their own and due to the federal structure the Centre was in no position to refuse.
"Many states demanded vaccinations to be decentralized. Some voices even questioned prioritising certain age groups, including the elderly," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in his address to the nation last evening.
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