PINARAYI Vijayan, Chief Minister of Kerala wrote a letter to Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India on April 20,  demanding free vaccine supply to all the state governments. Pinarayi said that the second wave of Covid 19 has spiked a large number of cases every day and the centre and the states have to work together to crush this rising curve of incidence of infections. He supported the decision of the central government of providing the vaccine to all above the age of 18 years. However, he said, this must be provided free of cost to all the states

He invited the attention of the prime minister on various aspects of the new policy announced on April 19, 2021, which states that “Vaccine manufacturers would supply 50 per cent of their monthly Central Drugs Laboratory(CDL) released doses to the Government of India and would be free to supply the remaining 50 per cent doses to State governments and in the open market.” The state governments have been asked to get the vaccine from the manufacturers at a price. Pinaryai said the state governments are already facing additional financial commitments from the consequences of the pandemic and they have to provide vaccine free of cost to its people. This will immensely burden the state governments, which are facing the persisting economic downturn.

Pinarayi referred to the press release of the government of India where it is mentioned that 50 per cent of the vaccine will be marked to the central government and the rest 50 per cent will be distributed  to the open market  and the state governments. He reminded the prime minister that the governments have a constitutional obligation in the health sector and do need an assured quota of Covid-19  vaccine, which must be provided free in the pandemic situation. He emphasised the need to understand that vaccines must be considered a public good and provided free of cost to them.