COVID-19: States which have made vaccine doses free of cost from 1st May

Taking into account the Centre’s resolve to authorize vaccination of every person above the age of 18 years, at least 16 states have decided to gave a jab to their people against COVID-19 free of cost.

So far, the pandemic has claimed the lives of 1,89,544 and infected over 16 million people in India.

India's largest vaccine maker Serum Institute of India (SII) announced a price of Rs 400 per dose for its 'Covishield' vaccine for state governments and ₹600 per dose for private hospitals.

Here are the states which have made the vaccine doses free:

* Madhya Pradesh:

The MP government declared that all people above the age of 18 years will be offered the COVID vaccine free of cost. CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan said, "A detailed guidelines of the Government of India will be issued later, but the people above the age of 18 will be vaccinated for free in Madhya Pradesh."

* J&K:

The J&K government declared free vaccine for people above the age of 18.

"It has been decided that Covid-19 vaccination for people in the age group of 18 to 45 years will be free of cost in the Union Territory, and the cost of the vaccine will be borne by the government of Jammu and Kashmir,” a statement from the office of J&K’s Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha read.

* Himachal Pradesh:

The Himachal Pradesh government too announced that the state will give the Covid vaccine free of cost to people between the ages of 18 and 44 years.

* Goa:

Goa will inoculate adults between the ages of 18 to 45 against COVID-19 for free, it declared on Thursday.

"I am pleased to convey Government approval to provide Covid-19 vaccine doses to all population in the age group 18-45 through the state government free of cost," Gaunekar said in the letter.

* Kerala:

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan stated that the state government will provide the vaccine against Covid-19 free of cost for everyone in the state.

* Chhattisgarh:

The Chhattisgarh government said this week that free Covid jab will be given to all above the age of 18 in the state. CM Bhupesh Baghel said the state government will pay for the vaccination of people over 18 years of age.

An official statement read, 'We will take all possible steps to protect the lives of our citizens.'

* Bihar:

The Bihar government will provide free COVID vaccine to everyone above the age of 18, CM Nitish Kumar said on Wednesday.

"The Bihar government will provide Covid-19 vaccine free of cost to all above 18 years of age in the state," Kumar tweeted.

* Jharkhand:

The Jharkhand government will provide free vaccination to all above 18 years of age, Chief Minister Hemant Soren announced.

"In Jharkhand, the corona vaccine will be provided free of cost to people above the age of 18 by the state government," Soren said in a tweet on Thursday night.

* UP:

BJP national general secretary BL Santhosh on Tuesday announced that Uttar Pradesh will vaccinate the population above 18 years of age for free.

* Assam:

The state government will also provide free COVID-19 vaccine to its people above the age of 18.

* Sikkim:

Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang on Wednesday announced that the state government will provide free Covid jabs to all citizens between 18 to 45 years. He said that the state government will bear the cost, if the centre refuses to do so.

* West Bengal

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced free vaccination for those who are above 18 years of age in her state.

* Tamil Nadu

The state government on Thursday stated that it will give free Covid vaccination for all when the next phase of inoculation drive covering all above 18 years would begin.

* Andhra Pradesh

Deputy CM Alla Krishna Srinivas announced that the state government has decided to provide the Covid-19 vaccine free of cost to all above the age of 18 years.

* Telangana

The Telangana government will give the Covid jab free of cost to the entire population in the state irrespective of their age, Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao announced on Saturday.

* Haryana

Everyone over 18 years will be vaccinated free of cost at government hospitals in Haryana, said Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Saturday.

Also Read: Coronavirus: India records over 3.23 lakh new COVID-19 cases, 2771 deaths