Will the poor get vaccine for free, Congress asks government

NEW DELHI: Congress on Sunday slammed the Modi government for not putting in place a plan to provide free vaccines to the poor and the underprivileged, reminding BJP that a vast majority of Indians lived on subsidised rations and needed government support.
Stating that BJP had promised free vaccines in the Bihar election campaign, Congress spokesman Randeep Surjewala asked, “Is the government not aware that 81.3 crore people are eligible for subsidised ration under the Food Security Act? Will the SC, ST, BC, BPL, APL, the poor and the underprivileged get the vaccine for free or not? If yes, what is the rollout plan and by when will the government ensure free vaccination? PM Modi and the BJP government need to answer...Who will get free corona vaccine? How many people will get it?”
Alleging overpricing of the two vaccines — Covaxin and Covishield — Surjewala asked why the government had not put them in the National List of Essential Medicines.
He said a Covishield vaccine was selling for Rs 158 in Belgium while the Modi government was paying Rs 200 and Covaxin was being bought by the government for Rs 295. He said Covishield was being sold for Rs 1,000 in the open market. “Why should the Modi government pay Rs 95 more to Bharat Biotech for a vaccine that has been developed with the expertise and experience of scientists of government-owned ICMR, and which has only been tested on 755 individuals and is yet to be cleared after phase 3 trials?” he asked.