New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in his address to the nation on Monday the Centre will buy 75 per cent of the total vaccine production from manufacturers and give it free of cost to the state governments and will also bear the responsibility of 25 percent of the work related to vaccination with the states. "This arrangement will be implemented in the coming two weeks. In these two weeks, the central and state governments will together make necessary preparations according to the new guidelines,” PM Modi said. From June 21, the Centre will provide free vaccines for all citizens above the age of 18 years, PM Modi also announced. “State governments will not have to spend anything on the vaccine. Crores of people of the country have got free vaccine till now and now people of 18 years of age will also join it. Only the government of India will provide free vaccine to all the countrymen,” he added.

PM Modi'saddress to the nation as cases of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) are on the decline after a deadly surge in the last two months and several states have eased the strict restrictions.

This is the biggest pandemic in the last hundred years and the modern world had neither seen nor experienced such a pandemic, he said.

Our country has fought together on many fronts during such a big global pandemic—from making ventilators to preparing a network of laboratories—to create a new medical infrastructure during the pandemic which has been the worst in the last century. The country fought on a war-footing,” PM said in his address.India launched not one but two Made-in-India vaccines within a year as it bypassed every apprehension. The government, he said, supported the companies making the Covid-19 vaccine in every possible way. “Our country and scientists have shown that India is not behind big countries. Today when I am talking to you, more than 23 crore vaccine doses have been given in the country,” he added.