There was zero provision for COVID-19 vaccination in the 2021s expenditure of the Indian government.

An amount of Rs. 35,000 crores is earmarked as a provision for vaccine procurement operated by the Union Health Ministry.

An amount of Rs. 35,000 crores is earmarked as a provision for vaccine procurement operated by the Union Health Ministry.A media report based on a tweet by Praveen Chakravarty, political economist, chairperson - data analytics of Congress claimed that Rs 35,000 crore provision in Union Budget for COVID-19 vaccination is budgeted as loans/ grants for states, and there was zero provision for the Centre.

In reply, the Ministry of Finance clarified that the amount of Rs. 35,000 crore is under the Demand for Grants No. 40, titled 'Transfers to States', which the Centre uses to procure the vaccines and paid through that head of the account. The Ministry of Health operates the amount provided for vaccinations, and vaccines are given to the States as grants in kind.

Further, it mentioned that there is enough administrative flexibility to change the scheme's nature between grants in-kind and other forms of grants.

The COVID-19 pandemic has given rise to a lot of potentially dangerous misinformation. For reliable advice on COVID-19 including symptoms, prevention and available treatment, please refer to the World Health Organisation or your national healthcare authority.