COVID-19: 13 Opposition parties ask Centre for free mass vaccination drive, read statement

In a huge development on Sunday, 13 opposition parties released a joint statement pertaining to the surge of the COVID-19 pandemic across the country. It was signed by Sonia Gandhi (Congress), HD Deve Gowda (JD-S), Sharad Pawar (NCP), Uddhav Thackeray (Shiv Sena), Mamata Banerjee (TMC), Hemant Soren (JMM), MK Stalin (DMK), Mayawati (BSP), Farooq Abdullah (NC), Akhilesh Yadav (RJD), Tejashwi Yadav (RJD), D Raja (CPI) and Sitaram Yechury (CPI-M). They called upon the Centre to focus "all attention" on ensuring uninterrupted oxygen supply to all hospitals.

This assumes significance amid frantic appeals by multiple hospitals citing shortage of sufficient oxygen to treat COVID-19 patients during the second COVID-19 wave. Moreover, it requested the Centre to immediately launch a free mass vaccination programme in India. According to these parties, the Union government should utilise the budgetary allocation of Rs.35,000 crore. 

COVID-19 vaccination in India

Apart from COVISHIELD and COVAXIN, the DCGI accepted the recommendations of the Subject Expert Committee of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation, paving way for the approval of Sputnik V on April 12. Moreover, the Union government declared that those vaccines that have been granted emergency approval for restricted use by USFDA, EMA, UK MHRA, PMDA Japan, or which are listed in WHO (Emergency Use Listing) will be granted emergency use approval in India. In place of the local clinical trial requirement, the post-approval bridging clinical trial shall be mandated.

In a huge announcement on April 19, the Centre relaxed the age bar for vaccination from May 1 onwards and mentioned that vaccine manufacturers can supply 50 per cent of its doses to state governments and in the open market. The private hospitals shall have to procure their supplies of the COVID-19 vaccines exclusively from this quota. However, they will have to follow all protocols such as being captured on the CoWIN platform and linked to AEFI reporting.

At the same time, vaccination shall continue at Government of India vaccination centres for healthcare and frontline workers and those above 45 years. Additionally, the Centre stated that it will allocate vaccine doses to the states from the remaining 50% quota based on factors such as the number of active cases, speed of administration and vaccine wastage. So far, a total of 15,41,85,596 vaccination doses have been administered in India.