PM Modi Speech Updates: Centre to provide free vaccines to states for all above 18 yrs from June 21, says PM Modi

PM Modi has announced that all citizens from 18 years and above will get free vaccines from government vaccination centres. 

Centre will buy 75 percent of vaccines, while Private hospitals can still buy 25 percent of vaccines. Earlier centre was acquiring 50 percent of the vaccines, states were urged to acquire 25 percent of the vaccines while the private hospitals could acquire 25 percent. However, the inability of the states to acquire vaccine doses has forced centre to take back state's 25 percent and acquire vaccines on their behalf as well. 

Addressing vaccine hesitancy and campaigns against vaccination, PM Modi asks people not to believe rumours and misinformation. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has stated that the centre has decided to take full responsibility to supply vaccines to the states.

Prime Minister Modi noted that the centre has provided funds for research and development of the vaccines. He stressed that the centre has provided the vaccine manufacturers with support at every step. 

PM Modi reiterates that vaccination is the only shield against COVID-19. He said that the made-in-India vaccines were lifesavers. He stated that in the past procuring vaccines from abroad took a lot of time. 

The Prime Minister expresses his support and condolence to each family that has lost their loved and close ones. 

India's daily coronavirus infections have fallen to just above 1 lakh, much below the 4 lakh daily rise in infections reported earlier. This has led people to believe that India's COVID curve is flattening. 

Today's address would be the Prime Minister's ninth address to the nation. He has addressed the nation eight times in the past.

As per media reports, the Prime Minister is likely to discuss vaccine roadmap and announce economic stimulus. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the nation shortly. The Prime Minister is likely to address India's fight against COVID.

India is currently the hardest-hit nation by the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in terms of the daily death toll. Despite a fall in positivity rate, several parts of the nation are still under a lockdown while few states have started their unlocking process. 

The Prime Minister had last addressed the nation on April 20, 2021 when the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic had begun wreaking havoc across the nation. PM Modi had said that the second COVID-19 wave has come as a tornado but he urged the states to use lockdown as the last option and instead focus on micro-containment zones.

The Prime Minister had said that let us defeat coronavirus without a lockdown, as we have to save our economy. However, most of the states resorted to imposing local lockdowns and restrictions to break the chain of transmission, as the COVID-19 situation almost got out of control.