Covid-19 vaccine: Centre will bear cost of Phase 1, says Narendra Modi

Says first phase is for frontline workers, asks politicians to opt out

The first phase of the Covid-19 vaccination will incur no cost for the state governments, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday. While announcing that the Centre will bear the full cost, he also said politicians should not opt for the vaccine in Phase 1, which begins on January 16 and is meant to cover frontline workers, which include health workers (both private and government), security and armed forces staff, and sanitation workers.

Modi was interacting with chief ministers of all states to discuss the Covid-19 situation and the preparations for the vaccine roll-out in the country.

To begin with, 30 million