India may raise vaccine spending to $6 billion this fiscal year

India may raise spending on COVID-19 shots by over a quarter this fiscal year to up to 450billion rupees ($6.18 billion) from its budgeted amount, two government sources told Reuters after the Prime M

India may raise spending on COVID-19 shots by over a quarter this fiscal year to up to 450billion rupees ($6.18 billion) from its budgeted amount, two government sources told Reuters after the Prime Minister offered free doses to all adults. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in an address to the nation on Monday that the central government would bear the cost of vaccinating all adults from June 21. His previous policy of getting individual states to pay for immunisations for those aged under 45 years was widely criticised. The sources, who did not want to be named as they were not authorised to speak with the media, said the government would spend up to 450 billion rupees on COVID-19 vaccines this fiscal year, which started on April 1. The previously budgeted amount was 350 billion rupees.