Delhi to provide free vaccines to everyone above 18 years of age: Kejriwal

Delhi government on Monday announced free vaccines to everyone above 18 years of age. “Delhi government has decided to provide free vaccines to everyone above 18 years of age. Today we have given the approval for the purchase of 1.34 crore vaccines. We will make an effort to ensure that it is purchased soon and administered at the earliest to people,” Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said at a press conference.

Kejriwal added that there should not be different prices of COVID-19 vaccines as this was not time for profiteering.

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“One vaccine producer said that they’ll provide vaccines to the state govts at Rs 400/dose & the second producer said that they’ll provide at Rs 600/dose. Both of them will keep the price at Rs 150/dose for the Central govt”, Kejriwal was further quoted to be saying, before appealing that the prices be brought down to Rs 150/dose.

He also directed attention towards the issue of vaccination for children below the age of 18 years.

“It’s time to think for them too. If these vaccines are safe & effective for them, they should be given these. If not, then I hope new vaccines will be developed soon that will be effective & safe for children”, ANI quoted Kejriwal as saying.

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Earlier on Monday, the CM, alongside Deputy CM Manish Sisodia and Health Minister Satyendar Jain, visited the ITBP (Indo-Tibetan Border Police)-run Sardar Patel COVID Care Centre at the Radha Soami Beas in Delhi’s Chhatarpur.

Giving out details for the same, he stated that the centre currently had 500 beds, and that it would be increased to 2,000, and then eventually to 5,000 beds.

He further noted that the centre had 200 ICU beds as well.