New Delhi: Defending its liberalised vaccine policy, the Central government on Saturday said that the media reports suggesting inequities in the distribution of doses were “inaccurate and speculative in nature”. Issuing a statement, the government said that the vaccine policy which was adopted on May 1 facilitates better access and reduces the “operational stress” on government vaccination facilities.

“It is reiterated that the Liberalised Vaccine policy, which envisages a larger role for the private sector and the centre, is setting aside 25% of vaccines for the private sector. This mechanism facilitates better access and reduces the operational stress on Government Vaccination facilities in terms of those who could afford to pay and would prefer to go to a private hospital,” the statement read.

Taking to Twitter, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan also asserted that the reports of inequities in vaccine distribution were “completely baseless”.

Reacting to the claims that the supply of vaccines is limited to hospitals in bigger metros, the government said that hospitals in smaller cities are also getting the vaccines.

“As on 1st June 2021, private hospitals have received over 1.20 crore doses of COVID vaccines in the month of May 2021. As on 4th May, 2021, a large number of private hospitals that have contracted with M/S Serum Institute of India and M/S Bharat Biotech have been supplied with Covishield and Covaxin doses. These private hospitals are not limited to the bigger metros but also from Tier II & III cities across States,” it said.

Several state governments had criticised the Centre over its new policy under which it procures the vaccines at cheaper rates.

Earlier this week, the Supreme Court had made scathing remarks on Centre’s vaccination policy against Covid-19, terming the replacement of free vaccination in the first two phases with paid vaccination for persons between 18-44 years as prima facie as “arbitrary and irrational”.

In a 32-page ruling, a bench comprising Justices D.Y. Chandrachud, L. Nageswara Rao and S. Ravindra Bhat said: “Due to the importance of vaccinating individuals in the 18-44 age group, the policy of the Central government for conducting free vaccination themselves for groups under the first 2 phases, and replacing it with paid vaccination by the state/UT governments and private hospitals for the persons between 18-44 years is, prima facie, arbitrary and irrational.”

The court noted that persons between 18-44 years of age have not only been infected by Covid-19 but have also suffered from severe effects of the infection, including prolonged hospitalisation and, in unfortunate cases, death.