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Provide vaccine booster dose free of cost: CPI MP Binoy Viswam urges PM Modi
CPI Rajya Sabha member Binoy Vishwam sent a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi calling the Centre’s vaccine booster dose policy ‘ill-planned’ and ‘disastrous.
NEW DELHI: Communist Party of India (CPI) leader and Rajya Sabha member Binoy Viswam on Monday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to provide vaccine booster doses free of cost and lashed out at the Centre’s policy of privatising the vaccine drive, calling it “ill-planned” and “disastrous”.
“The privatisation of the vaccination drive is ill-planned, disastrous and could invariably lead to the failure of the intended programme,” Vishwam said in a letter sent to the Prime Minister.
He said that the policy to pay for booster doses dis-incentivises the groups of vulnerable people as the cost of vaccination could be a significant cost to the day-to-day expenses of this group.
“The government policy for booster doses caters only to the affluent classes who can afford the vaccine while discriminating against those who may not be able to afford the same. This discriminatory implementation of the vaccination drive is another example of the government’s concern for the common citizens of the country who are already reeling under the economic effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and the sharp price rise that is occurring at present,” he said.
He further said that the government would rather give opportunities to private companies to gain extraordinary profits than stand by the best interests of the citizens.
He urged the Prime Minister to reconsider the ordinary citizens’ interest and well-being policy. He suggested that while provision for private access to booster doses may be kept, the government should also ensure the free availability of vaccines in government hospitals.
The government on Friday announced that adult citizens will be able to take their third shot of a Covid-19 vaccine from April 10 as long as their second shot was administered at least nine months earlier. It added that these will need to be paid for and will be available only at private centres and the service charge for booster doses at private vaccination centres has been capped at ₹150.
After the announcement, Serum Institute of India (SII) CEO Adar Poonawalla said that Covishield’s booster dose for all adults will be priced at ₹600 excluding the taxes. Covovax, which has not received approval as a booster shot, will be priced around ₹900 plus taxes, once approved.
