Coronavirus vaccine will be available free of cost in India: Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan

As India is about to begin a dry run to assess the preparedness to roll out the coronavirus vaccine in the country, the Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan has claimed the vaccine will be available free of cost in India.

"Not just in Delhi, it (vaccine) will be free across India," Dr Vardhan said while speaking to the local media.

His statement came after he visited a hospital in the capital city New Delhi to review the situation before India begins a mass vaccination drive. When he was asked if the vaccine will be available free of cost for the locals of Delhi, he claimed all Indians will be administered the shot free of cost.

He also took to Twitter to confirm the news. "In 1st phase of #COVID19Vaccination free #vaccine shall be provided across the nation to most prioritised beneficiaries that incl 1 crore healthcare & 2 crore frontline workers," he tweeted. "Details of how further 27 cr priority beneficiaries are to be vaccinated until July are being finalised."

New Delhi has three dry run centres: GTB hospital, Daryaganj and Srinivaspuri, Vardhan visited the GTB hospital on Saturday morning to check the staff's preparedness and review the situation.

The announcement has come as India awaits approval for emergency use of the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine.