NEW DELHI: The promise of a free Covid 19 vaccine for every citizen in Bihar in the BJP's poll manifesto, declared on Tuesday, for the upcoming state elections is not in line with the Centre's own stated vaccine policy so far.
"As soon as a Covid-19 vaccine is available for production at a mass scale, every person in Bihar will get free vaccination," said Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday.
"This is the first promise mentioned in our poll manifesto," she said while announcing the party BJP's manifesto for the Bihar election.
The saffron party's manifesto said that the NDA government in Bihar has shown an example in front of the country through its fight against the pandemic.
"It is our pledge that as soon as the vaccine against Covid-19 is approved by the ICMR and becomes available, we will get every person in the state immunised free of cost."
The promise comes even as there is no guarantee that the potential vaccines, even those in late stage trials presently, will succeed.
Top functionaries of the government, including the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union health minister Harsh Vardhan on the other hand had thus far said that once available, the vaccine will be prioritised and be given to the most vulnerable groups first.
The National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for Covid-19, constituted by the government, has in fact recommended a serosurvey assisted vaccine policy which means leaving out those with antibodies against the Covid19 virus.
The group has already chalked out a plan to make the vaccine available in the first phase to healthcare workers, frontline workers, elderly citizens and those with co-morbidities whose cumulative numbers run in 30-40 crore.
Earlier this month, the health minister had said that the government is hoping and planning to receive and utilise 400 to 500 million doses covering approximately 25 crore people by July 2021.
Vardhan had also said that his ministry is preparing a format in which states will submit lists of priority population groups to receive vaccines, especially health workers engaged in the management of Covid-19.
The Centre, however, has been non-committal on the cost of the vaccine and this is the first time that assurance of a "free vaccination" for citizens has been given out.
Experts meanwhile pointed out that vaccines should not be an issue of poll or politics and should be available for everyone, mainly those most vulnerable.
"I think vaccines should be free for everyone and part of universal health coverage," said Dr Gagandeep Kang, a senior medical scientist.
"For SARS-COV2 vaccines, since supply will be limited, they should be provided to those at highest need of protection using an open transparent allocation strategy."
A senior virologist who did not wish to be named pointed out that the PM had earlier said the vaccine will first go to people who need it most, hinting at healthcare workers. "
Who should we believe- the PM or the finance minister who made a new promise today?" he asked.