Ahead Of West Bengal Polls, Mamata Banerjee Announces Free Covid Vaccine For The State

India's Coronavirus vaccine drive has come in as the Central government on Saturday announced that it is slated to begin in the country on January 16.

Amid the demands of opposition parties to provide free vaccine to all the people of the country, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has announced free vaccine to all the citizens of the state. India's Coronavirus vaccine drive has come in as the Central government on Saturday announced that it is slated to begin in the country on January 16.

I am happy to announce that our government is making arrangements to facilitate the administration of #COVID19 vaccine to all the people of the state without any cost: West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee pic.twitter.com/I2Y9DvbHeo

— ANI (@ANI) January 10, 2021

The opposition parties have been asking the central to make covid vaccine free for all as the vaccination drive is just around the corner. The Center announced on Saturday that the frontline workers will be given priority in the first phase of the inoculation drive. A digital vaccine delivery management system will be implemented in order to give real-time info on vaccine stocks, storage temperature, tracking of beneficiaries. A digital platform will also be set up to help in automated session allocation, verification and post-vaccination certificate to recipients. In the first phase, 3 crore people will be given free vaccine Two Coronavirus vaccines, Bharat Biotech Covaxin and Oxford-AstraZeneca's Covishield manufactured by Serum Institute of India were approved for emergency use by DCGI. As informed by the Union Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan earlier, healthcare workers and the frontline workers, estimated to be around 3 crores are going to be the first priority. Health Minister also said that vaccine will be free in the first phase of inoculation. They will be followed by those above 50 years and the under-50 population groups with co-morbidities numbering around 27 crores and the cost of the vaccine will be decided in a later stage. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold a meeting with the Chief Ministers of all the states of the country on Monday. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will also take part in this meeting. It is possible that Kejriwal will raise the issue of getting free vaccines across the country in a meeting with the Prime Minister. This meeting called for the Corona vaccine will be held at 4 pm on Monday.