THE Central Government will procure 75 per cent vaccines produced in India directly from the manufacturers, who will be allowed to sell the remaining 25 per cent to the private healthcare sector, officials said on Tuesday. Addressing the press conference on vaccination and COVID pandemic situation in the country, NITI Aayog’s Member (Health) Dr V K Paul said that the State Governments will not procure vaccines directly from the manufacturing units. “The Centre will provide vaccines to all States and UTs free of cost as already has been announced.

 

Vaccines manufacturers in India will sell up to 75 per cent of their total stock to the Centre and the remaining 25 per cent, they can sell to the private healthcare centres,” Paul added. He informed that the Government has decided to centralise the vaccination drive and therefore, the States and UTs will not have to struggle to procure vaccines. Earlier, the Centre had allowed the State Governments to procure vaccines on their own, and float global tenders. Paul said the decision to shift back to centralised vaccination was taken after observing the difficulties which the State Governments faced and “their failure to procure vaccines started resulting some other narratives in the country”.