Delhi government on Monday announced that it will provide free COVID-19 vaccines to everyone above 18 years of age when the drive begins on 1 May.
“Today we have given the approval for the purchase of 1.34 crore vaccines. We will make an effort to ensure that it is purchased soon and administered at the earliest to people,” Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced.
Kejriwal urged vaccine-makers to bring down the prices for state governments.
“I appeal to vaccine manufacturers to bring down the price to Rs 150/dose. You have an entire lifetime to earn profits. This is not the time to do that when there is a raging pandemic. I also appeal to the Central government to cap the price (of vaccines) if needed,” he said.
Earlier several states like Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, UP, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Bihar, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh and Goa had decided to administer COVID-19 vaccine free of cost to all those above 18 years of age from May 1.
