Actor Sonu Sood feels the Covid preventive vaccine should be available to the needy for free, and there should be a cap on pricing. Sonu who tested positive for COVID-19 a few days back stressed on providing free vaccinations to those who are needy.
"Every needy should get vaccine for free. Very important to put a cap on the pricing. Corporates and individuals who can afford should come forward to help everyone get vaccinated. Let's do business some other time," Sonu Sood tweeted on Wednesday.
The tweet from the actor came a few hours after the SII announced the rate cards for Covishield vaccines for states and centre ahead of May 1 COVID-19 vaccination drive, which will make everyone above 18 years of age eligible to get vaccinated.
According to media statements, the institute had fixed the prices of the Covishield vaccine at Rs 400 per dose for state governments and Rs 600 per dose for private hospitals.
As of now, SII is selling Covishield to the Centre at Rs 150 per dose. Additionally, those who are eligible for the vaccine at present can get it at Rs 250 per dose from private hospitals.
It was in May 2020, during the nationwide lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, when Sood turned lockdown mesiha for many and helped thousands of stranded Indian migrant workers to reach their homes by arranging buses, special trains and chartered flights for them. In July 2020 he arranged a chartered flight to bring home over 1,500 Indian students stranded in Kyrgyzstan, flying them from Bishkek to Varanasi. His charity during the pandemic was lauded, and he was hailed as a real-life hero in India.
Meanwhile, the Union Government on Wednesday said there are more than 21.57 lakh active Covid cases in the country, which is double the maximum number of active cases India had last year.
With inputs from IANS