India will vaccinate all citizens above the age of 18 against Covid-19, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday, in the latest push against a devastating coronavirus wave.
Mr Modi said his government was taking back control of the vaccination programme from regional governments after chronic shortages of vaccine doses.
“From June 21, the centre [federal government] will provide free vaccines to states for all above 18," he said in a televised address.
Under the earlier policy, the federal government gave free vaccines to those above 45 and frontline workers, while state governments inoculated people between 18 and 44.
The private sector will continue to be allocated 25 per cent of doses, which can be distributed through hospitals and private companies.
Most states were also providing the shots free of charge to the younger age group, but faced a huge challenge in procuring doses as the country was gripped by a manufacturing shortfall.
Last week India’s Supreme Court denounced the government’s vaccination policy as “arbitrary and irrational”, because of its criteria for free vaccinations.
India launched the world’s largest vaccination programme in January and set a target of inoculating 300 million people, mostly health and frontline workers and those above 45, by the end of July.
But a sudden decision in May to extend the vaccinations to nearly 600 million people above the age of 18 derailed the drive.
India had 80 million doses available in May, forcing many regions to limit immunisation as they struggled to procure vaccines because of low local production and lack of international supplies.
Cities such as Delhi bore the brunt of the second wave and had to stop vaccinating young people after they ran out of shots.
“Vaccine supply will be increasing in the coming days," Mr Modi said.
"Seven companies in the country are producing different vaccines. Three vaccine trials are at an advanced state."
“Research on a nasal spray vaccine is continuing, which if successful can significantly boost India’s vaccination drive."
The world's leading vaccine-producing country has administered 212 milliondoses since January. More than 160 million people received the first dose up to May.
About 44 million, about 3 per cent of India’s population, have been completely vaccinated, the Health Ministry says.
India is slowly recovering from a second wave of coronavirus that has killed nearly 150,000 people and infected 20 million since March.
The country reported 100,636 new cases and 2,400 deaths on Monday.
India is administering two locally made vaccines, Oxford-AstraZeneca’s Covishield produced by the Serum Institute of India and Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin, after they were given emergency approval in January.
Vaccines should be paid by the central government and there should be a single price fixed
It has given emergency approval to Russia’s Sputnik V at a smaller scale as demand for vaccines grows.
Mr Modi said there would be an increased supply of vaccines because more trials are under way.
India recently said it would vaccinate allcitizens by the end of the year, but many experts have expressed scepticism.
Critics have accused Mr Modi’s government of fumbling the vaccination drive, saying it failed to procure enough doses when the pandemic hit the country last year.
The latest move follows widespread criticism of the administration’s policy, which started a race among regional governments to procure vaccines on their own.
Several regional governments unsuccessfully began global tenders but makers such as US-based Moderna and Pfizer insisted they would only deal with the federal government.
The dire vaccination situation in the country led the Supreme Court to ask tough questions of the government, including its “dual-pricing” policy under which states were paying more for the doses than the federal government.
"It is the right decision and the dual approach should never have been there in the first place, particularly considering the pandemic," Dr Chandrakant Lahariya, an independent vaccinologist, told The National
"Vaccines should be paid by the central government and there should be a single price fixed."
Regional leaders and the country's opposition Congress party welcomed the announcement, while claiming that the federal government buckled under pressure from regional administrators and the court.
Jaiveer Shergill, a Congress party spokesman, tweeted that he hoped there would be no more "misadventures and blunders" by the government on vaccine distribution.
Pinarayi Vijayan, the Chief Minister of southern Kerala state, said he was happy that its request had been positively responded to by the Prime Minister.
“The Prime Minister's declaration that Covid-19 vaccine will be supplied free of cost to the states from June 21 is the most appropriate response at this hour,” Mr Vijayan tweeted.
MATCH INFO
AC Milan v Inter, Sunday, 6pm (UAE), match live on BeIN Sports
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
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%3Cp%3E%0D%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E6-cylinder%2C%204.8-litre%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E5-speed%20automatic%20and%20manual%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E280%20brake%20horsepower%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E451Nm%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Efrom%20Dh153%2C00%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Enow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Tewellah by Nawal Zoghbi is out now.
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
'The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window'
Director:Michael Lehmann
Stars:Kristen Bell
Rating: 1/5
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%C2%A0Reinaldo%20Marcus%20Green%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%C2%A0%3C%2Fstrong%3EKingsley%20Ben-Adir%2C%20Lashana%20Lynch%2C%20James%20Norton%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%C2%A02%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
THREE POSSIBLE REPLACEMENTS
Khalfan Mubarak
The Al Jazira playmaker has for some time been tipped for stardom within UAE football, with Quique Sanchez Flores, his former manager at Al Ahli, once labelling him a “genius”. He was only 17. Now 23, Mubarak has developed into a crafty supplier of chances, evidenced by his seven assists in six league matches this season. Still to display his class at international level, though.
Rayan Yaslam
The Al Ain attacking midfielder has become a regular starter for his club in the past 15 months. Yaslam, 23, is a tidy and intelligent player, technically proficient with an eye for opening up defences. Developed while alongside Abdulrahman in the Al Ain first-team and has progressed well since manager Zoran Mamic’s arrival. However, made his UAE debut only last December.
Ismail Matar
The Al Wahda forward is revered by teammates and a key contributor to the squad. At 35, his best days are behind him, but Matar is incredibly experienced and an example to his colleagues. His ability to cope with tournament football is a concern, though, despite Matar beginning the season well. Not a like-for-like replacement, although the system could be adjusted to suit.
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
THE BIO
BIO:
Born in RAK on December 9, 1983
Lives in Abu Dhabi with her family
She graduated from Emirates University in 2007 with a BA in architectural engineering
Her motto in life is her grandmother’s saying “That who created you will not have you get lost”
Her ambition is to spread UAE’s culture of love and acceptance through serving coffee, the country’s traditional coffee in particular.
More from UAE Human Development Report:
FIXTURES
Saturday, November 3
Japan v New Zealand
Wales v Scotland
England v South Africa
Ireland v Italy
Saturday, November 10
Italy v Georgia
Scotland v Fiji
England v New Zealand
Wales v Australia
Ireland v Argentina
France v South Africa
Saturday, November 17
Italy v Australia
Wales v Tonga
England v Japan
Scotland v South Africa
Ireland v New Zealand
Saturday, November 24
|Italy v New Zealand
Scotland v Argentina
England v Australia
Wales v South Africa
Ireland v United States
France v Fiji
Origin
Dan Brown
Doubleday
In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
- Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000
- HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000
- Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000
- Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000
- Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000
- Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000
- Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000
- Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000
- Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
- Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
- Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
Players Selected for La Liga Trials
U18 Age Group
Name: Ahmed Salam (Malaga)
Position: Right Wing
Nationality: Jordanian
Name: Yahia Iraqi (Malaga)
Position: Left Wing
Nationality: Morocco
Name: Mohammed Bouherrafa (Almeria)
Position: Centre-Midfield
Nationality: French
Name: Mohammed Rajeh (Cadiz)
Position: Striker
Nationality: Jordanian
U16 Age Group
Name: Mehdi Elkhamlichi (Malaga)
Position: Lead Striker
Nationality: Morocco
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More coverage from the Future Forum
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
