Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi says his government will provide free coronavirus shots to any adult starting later this month and will take back control of the country’s vaccination drive, marred by delays and shortages. Modi says the federal government will take over vaccine procurement from the states and ensure vaccines are provided free of cost. The announcement comes as pressure was mounting on Modi’s government to speed up vaccinations and ensure equity. India has administered just over 222 million doses so far and less than 5% of the population has been fully vaccinated.
