Mumbai/Jaipur: Maharashtra and Rajasthan on Sunday announced free Ccoronavirus vaccine for people above the 18 years of age, who will be inoculated beginning May 1.
The Maharashtra government will float global tenders for providing affordable and quality anti-COVID 19 vaccines for free to adult citizens below 45 years, NCP leader and state Minority Affairs Minister Nawab Malik said on Sunday.
Talking to reporters, Malik said the vaccination drive beginning May 1 will be taken up using the state's funds.
"Global tenders will be floated to purchase affordable and quality vaccine," he said.
Malik said the Centre had announced to launch a vaccination drive for the citizens above 18 years beginning May 1."It is clear that the Centre will not provide vaccination for the people below the age of 45 years, which will be done by states," he said.
Citing manufacturers of vaccines, the minister said Covishield vaccine will be available to the Centre at Rs 150 per injection, while the rate fixed for state government is Rs 400 per dose and for private hospitals Rs 600 per dose.
The price of Covaxin is fixed at Rs 600 per dose for states and Rs 1,200 per dose for private hospitals, he said.
"The issue was discussed in the last cabinet meeting and it was agreed to provide free vaccination for the people below 45 years. Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has agreed for the same," Malik said.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said the state government will provide free coronavirus vaccine to people above the 18 years of age.
He said the state government will spend about Rs 3,000 crore on the exercise. "The state government will provide free coronavirus vaccine to all people above the 18 years of age in the state at the cost of about Rs 3000 crore," Gehlot said in a tweet in Hindi.