Late on June 7, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi withdrew a policy he announced six weeks ago. Despite the severe situation of the second wave of the epidemic in India, the policy still stipulates that the price of the new crown vaccine will be increased and some Indians will be forced to pay for the vaccine. So far, the second wave of the epidemic has caused millions of infections in India and tens of thousands of deaths.
Modi said that the federal government will purchase vaccines directly from manufacturers from June 21 and distribute them to states for free, replacing the requirement that states purchase vaccines from manufacturers on their own. This policy change aims to speed up the country’s vaccination plan. The goal of the Indian Vaccine Program is to vaccinate every adult before the end of the year. Up to now, about 15% of Indian adults have been fully vaccinated against the new crown vaccine.
According to the current policy that took effect on May 1, India divides vaccination into three parts-federal hospitals, state hospitals, and private hospitals. Vaccine manufacturers sell half of their stocks to the federal government and a quarter to state governments and private hospitals.
According to the new policy, the federal government will purchase two thirds of the vaccine for distribution, and the other third will be sold to private hospitals. States will no longer need to buy vaccines and let Indians pay. This means that most Indians will be eligible for free vaccines.
Modi said that he pursued the current policy because states want the freedom to obtain their own vaccines. He said that states are now reconsidering this approach.
“Many states have tried their best, but they are also aware of the challenges faced by such a huge project,” he added.
However, this statement was issued at a time when the Modi government was facing fierce criticism for handling the second wave of the new crown epidemic. Critics accused the Modi government of allowing elections in five states earlier this year and allowing large religious festivals to be held, which eventually attracted thousands of Hindu followers and led to the outbreak of a deadly epidemic. The opposition party also criticized the Modi government for blindly expanding the vaccination program without guaranteeing adequate supplies.
On May 1, India opened the eligibility for vaccination to all adults 18 years of age and above. Elderly people 45 years and older, health care and front-line workers are eligible for free vaccinations at government centers; but others must be vaccinated through state governments or private hospitals, sometimes for a fee.
Under the new policy, only private hospitals are allowed to charge patients for injections, and the price is capped at INR 150 (US$2 more per dose than when purchased by the hospital). It is unclear whether manufacturers will be allowed to charge private hospitals at market prices.
The Supreme Court of India criticized the current vaccination plan of the Indian federal government, saying that the policy forced state governments to compete with each other in purchasing vaccines.
Health care experts said the policy was flawed because it did not distribute vaccines as needed, but only gave each state an “equal” opportunity to snap up vaccines.
Uday Shankar, chairman of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry, welcomed the new vaccination policy. He believes that the “centralized program” will help ease the chaos and speed up vaccine procurement. He also said that the new policy needs to be rolled out more quickly. At the current rate of 2.2 million doses per day, only 30% of the Indian population will be vaccinated by the end of the year. (Fortune Chinese Network)
Compiler: Yang Eryi
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi late June 7 backtracked on a policy he announced six weeks ago that effectively raised the price of COVID-19 vaccines and forced some Indians to pay for doses, even as the country faced a deadly second wave of the virus that has since infected millions and killed tens of thousands.
Modi said the federal government will source vaccines directly from manufacturers and distribute them free to states starting June 21, instead of requiring individual states to buy doses from manufacturers. The reversal is intended to accelerate the country’s vaccination program, which aims to inoculate every adult by the end of the year. So far, roughly 15% of Indian adults are fully vaccinated.
Under the current policy that took effect May 1, India segregates its vaccination distribution into three channels—federal, state, and private hospitals. Vaccine producers sell up to half of their stocks to the federal government, and a quarter each to state governments and private hospitals.
The new policy will mean that the federal government will buy up to two-thirds of the vaccines approved for distribution, while another third will be sold to private hospitals. States will no longer have to buy vaccines and pass the cost on to citizens, meaning the majority of India’s population will be eligible for free vaccines.
Modi said he introduced the current policy because states had wanted the freedom to source their own vaccines. Now, he said, states are reconsidering that approach.
“Many states have done their best, but they have realized the challenge of such a big program,” he added.
But the announcement also comes as Modi’s government faces fierce criticism for its handling of the second COVID wave. Critics blame his administration for fueling the deadly outbreak earlier this year by allowing elections in five states as well as a massive religious festival that attracted thousands of Hindu devotees. Opposition parties have also slammed Modi’s government for expanding the vaccination program without ensuring adequate supply.
On May 1, India opened vaccine eligibility to all adults 18 and up. Those 45 and older and health care and frontline workers are eligible for free vaccines at government centers, but everyone else had to receive their jabs from state governments or private hospitals, sometimes for a fee.
Under the new policy, only private hospitals will be allowed to charge patients for jabs, though prices are capped at INR 150 or $2 over what hospitals pay per dose. It was not immediately clear whether manufacturers will be allowed to charge market rates to private hospitals.
The Supreme Court of India has criticized the federal government’s current vaccination program, saying that the policy forced state governments to compete with one another to buy vaccines.
Health care experts have said the policy was flawed because it didn’t distribute vaccines based on need, but instead gave every state an equal opportunity to snap up doses.
Uday Shankar, president of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry, welcomed the new vaccination policy, saying that a “centralized approach” will help ease confusion and speed up vaccine procurement. A faster rollout is needed, he said. At the current rate of 2.2 million doses daily, only 30% of the country’s population will be vaccinated by year-end.