Indian Government to Spend Rs 10,000 Crore to Vaccinate 30 Crore Indians on Priority Basis

The government will be spending about Rs 10,000 crore to inoculate the priority group of 30 crore Indians in the first phase of the Covid-19 vaccination drive.  Phase 1 of the vast inoculation will be funded by the central government. If sources are to be believed, the government is unwilling to take loans from international banks for funding the colossal vaccination drive.

COVID-19 Vaccine Update: 30 Crore Indians to be Inoculated by August-September 2021, India's COVID-19 caseload mounted to 98,62,080 with 50,356 infections being reported in a day, while the number of people who have recuperated from the disease crossed 78 lakh pushing the national recovery rate to 92.41 per cent. 

Union  Health Minister Harsh Vardhan has said that the Centre’s aim is to provide the COVID-19 vaccine to almost 30 crore Indians by August-September 2021. Also Read - Private Schools Entitled to Charge 70% of Tuition Fee For Online Classes 

Ahead of the roll-out of a credible vaccine against the novel coronavirus, the Narendra Modi-led government has initiated the process of the vaccine delivery, including identifying people who will be inoculated first. Also Read - India's Coronavirus Tally Surpasses 1 Crore-Mark.

As of now, four categories have been demarcated that will be administered the vaccine against the deadly virus first.  

* Healthcare professionals: One crore medicos including MBBS students, doctors, nurses and ASHA workers will get the first shot of COVID-19 vaccine.

* Frontline workers: 2 crore frontline workers including municipal corporation staffers, police officers and armed forces personnel would also get top priority for immunisation against coronavirus.

* Senior citizens: 26 crore senior citizens, above 50 who usually fall within an age group with high risk for the virus,  have also been identified as priority beneficiaries who would be given vaccine dose in the initial phase.

* Special category people: One crore people below 50 years of age with co-morbidities and requiring specialised care would also be added in the list who would be given vaccine dose in the initial phase.

Reports have claimed that this special COVID-19 immunisation programme would run in parallel with the Universal Immunisation Programme, but will use its processes, technology and network of the existing vaccine distribution framework.

“States have been asked to enlist by mid-November the priority population groups. Each person in the immunisation list will be linked with their Aadhaar cards so as to track them,” a source told news agency PTI. However, in case a person doesn’t have an Aadhaar card, he/she can use any government-issued photo identity card.

Meanwhile, India’s COVID-19 caseload mounted to 84,62,080 with 50,356 infections being reported in a day, while the number of people who have recuperated from the disease crossed 78 lakh pushing the national recovery rate to 92.41 per cent.