Covid vaccine in a few weeks, price affordable - Modi
1 crore health workers to get shots first, says Health Ministry
The Centre plans to give vaccine shots to nearly one crore health workers in the first phase of the vaccination drive whenever a Covid-19 vaccine is approved for use in India.
After this, nearly two crore frontline workers, including policemen, security personnel, municipal workers and other essential workers will receive the vaccination, the Health Ministry told an all-party meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi here on Friday.
About 27 crore senior citizens will receive the vaccine on priority basis in the third phase of the vaccination drive.
Addressing the floor leaders of Opposition parties while reviewing Covid-19 situation in the country, the Prime Minister quoted scientists saying that a vaccine for coronavirus would be “available in the next few weeks”.
Without giving away the price of the vaccine, Modi said it will be decided keeping in view the “public interest in mind”, suggesting it may not be high-priced.
“Experts expect that the vaccine will be ready within the next few weeks. Once scientists approve it, the nationwide vaccination drive will be started in India. Our scientists are very confident of succeeding in their endeavour of making the Covid-19 vaccine. The world is keeping a watch on the cheapest and safe vaccine,” the PM said during the meeting which was attended by about 12 leaders from prominent political parties.
Modi, who, last week visited India’s top vaccine hubs to personally review the development of coronavirus vaccine and the manufacturing process also assured that the country has the necessary infrastructure to manufacture the vaccine at a large scale. Nearly eight vaccines are at different stages of trial with their manufacturing assured in India, he said.
The Prime Minister said the center is talking with the States on the price of the vaccine. This is the second meet that the Prime Minister held with the Opposition parties on the Covid19 situation since the first that took place on April 20.
Modi said trials on three vaccines are underway in the country and as soon as scientists “give green signal, vaccine will be given.”
He hoped that a “safe and cost-effective Coronavirus vaccine will be ready in “next few weeks”.
Allaying apprehensions on whether India will be able to vaccinate its large population, Modi said India “has a very good cold-storage chain in place”.
Modi said a special task force has been set-up to implement vaccination in the country. A National Expert Group, comprising technical experts, officials from Central ministries, state representatives, would work with states. Prime Minister said to implement the vaccination at a large-scale “decisions will be taken collectively”.
Modi said the first claim on the vaccine would be of front-line health workers, elderly, and children.
The Prime Minister, however, did not tell whether the Centre will pay for the vaccination across the country.
Floor leaders from all parties in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were invited to attend the virtual meeting and
Leaders from prominent political parties having five or more than five MPs, spoke in the meeting.
Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad, Sudip Bandyopadhyay from the TMC, Sharad Pawar of the NCP, Nama Nageswara Rao from the TRS and Vinayak Raut from the Shiv Sena among others who attended the video conference.
Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah, Health Minister Harsh Vardhan were present in the meeting.
Besides them, Parliamentary Affairs Ministers Pralhad Joshi and Ministers of State in the same ministry Arjun Ram Meghwal and V Muraleedharan, who reached out to floor leaders for the meeting, were also part of the virtual meeting.
The meeting commenced with a Government presentation, giving the status of the Covid19 situation in the country and staying that India’s death rate was low with high recoveries.
Modi had on Monday held a virtual meeting with three teams working on developing and manufacturing COVID-19 vaccine.
Modi said from the time of fear and apprehensions in the months of February and March, when India reported its first COVID cases, to this atmosphere of “hope and confidence” in December, India has come a long way, he said.