Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan urges 11 counterparts to press Centre for free Covid-19 vaccines

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has urged his counterparts in non-BJP ruling states to jointly pressurise the Centre to provide Covid-19 vaccines to all states free of cost.

In a letter to eleven Chief Ministers, Vijayan said that putting the responsibility of vaccinating the entire population defied the basis of cooperative federalism. Hence states should unitedly put forth a genuine demand that the Centre should procure the vaccines required by states and distribute them free of cost.

He also said that vaccine manufacturing companies were looking for financial gains by exploiting the situation. Foreign firms are now willing to enter into agreements with states for vaccine supply. Hence it would be also cost-effective for the Centre to procure the vaccines and distribute them to the states.

He also said that the financial situations of the states would be in dire straits if the burden for procuring vaccines fell entirely or even substantially on the states. Since experts warned of a third Covid-19 wave, it was necessary for the states to be prepared to meet the eventualities. Herd immunity will be effective only if a substantial section of the population was vaccinated, he pointed out.

Vijayan had earlier written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging the Centre to float a global tender for procuring vaccines required by the states.