India Has Set Aside $7 Billion to Vaccinate the World’s Second Biggest Population
- The government’s estimate assumes two injections per person
- Serum Institute’s CEO predicted India needs $11 billion
India is said to estimate two injections per person at $2 a shot.
Photographer: Sajjad Hussain/AFP via Getty Images
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India’s government has set aside about 500 billion rupees ($7 billion) to vaccinate the world’s most populous country after China against the coronavirus, according to people with knowledge of the matter.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration estimates an all-in cost of about $6-$7 per person in the nation of 1.3 billion, the people said, asking not to be identified as the details are private. The money provisioned so far is for the current financial year ending March 31 and there will be no shortage of further funds for this purpose, they added.