Coronavirus: Opposition leaders demand uniform vaccination rate

Opposition leaders on Friday demanded a uniform vaccination rate as India is battling a terrible second wave of the coronavirus pandemic.

Everyone above 18 years of age can get vaccinated from May 1 in the Indian government’s third phase of inoculation. Only those over 45 and frontline workers were being vaccinated against the disease so far.

Under the third phase of the inoculation drive, vaccine manufacturers can sell half their vaccines to state governments and private hospitals. The Centre said it will provide vaccines free of cost for only the first 30 crore vulnerable persons. After that, vaccines will not be subsidised as they are being at present.

The Centre has also liberalised and deregulated vaccine prices, which means the cost of getting inoculated will vary in each state. Unless the states subsidise the shots, the doses are also likely to get very expensive for those who have not yet been vaccinated.

The Centre has asked manufacturers to declare prices for 50% supply that would be available to state governments and in the open market before May 1. The Serum Institute of India said its coronavirus vaccine Covishield will be sold at Rs 400 a shot to state governments and Rs 600 to private hospitals. The Pune-based company will sell Covishield doses to Centre at Rs 400 per dose once the current purchase order ends. Earlier, the Centre used to buy it at Rs 150 each and has allowed public hospitals to use it for free so far.

At a virtual meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, Kejriwal objected to different rates being charged from state governments and the Centre for the vaccine. He said a “one nation, one rate” policy should be followed.

Congress veteran P Chidambaram has also called the Centre’s decision on multiple prices for vaccines discriminatory. He suggested that states should jointly form a price negotiation committee to work out a uniform rate with the manufacturers.

“The central government’s decision to allow multiple prices for vaccines is discriminatory and regressive,” he said in a tweet. “States must unanimously reject the decision. The best way forward is for the state governments to jointly form a Price Negotiation Committee and offer to negotiate a uniform price with the two vaccine manufacturers.”

He also accused the Centre of abdicating its responsibilities and surrendering to “corporate profiteering”.

Congress leader and former Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot called the Centre’s decision “very bizarre” and warned it would lead to hoarding, reported the Hindustan Times.

“By fixing three prices of the same vaccine, the government of India has put the public in great difficulty,” said Pilot. “It is a very bizarre decision that the same vaccine will be supplied to the central government for Rs 150, state governments for Rs 400 and private hospitals for Rs 600. One nation, one vaccine, one rate is the needed to control the hoarding and black marketing of the vaccine.”

Earlier, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot had asked the Centre to provide free Covid-19 vaccines to all.

On Tuesday, the Congress said the Centre’s decision to liberalise vaccine sales and deregulate prices will make vaccines in India more expensive, and will end up excluding economically weaker sections of the population from voluntarily coming forward to take the shot.

Several states have announced that they will provide free vaccine to all. On Thursday, Jharkhand, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Goa joined the list of states that will provide free vaccinations against the coronavirus to people aged 18 years and above. Seven other states – Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Sikkim and Assam – have already made similar announcements.

All adults can register to get their vaccine on the government’s Co-WIN portal or the Aarogya Setu app from April 28.