EXPLAINER: India switches policy but still short of vaccines

NEW DELHI (AP) — Starting Monday, every Indian adult can get a COVID-19 vaccine dose for free that was purchased by the federal government.

The policy reversal, announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last week, ends a complex system of buying vaccines that worsened inequities in administering the shots. India is a key supplier of vaccines around the world, and its missteps have left millions of people waiting unprotected. Only about 3.5% of Indians are fully vaccinated and while the policy change is likely to address inequality, questions remain. Moreover poor planning means vaccine shortages will continue.

Here's a look at the changes to India's vaccine policy and what it means:

THE EARLIER POLICY

A massive virus surge in March pushed India's health systems to the breaking point: Hundreds of thousands of people were newly infected each day, hospitals overflowed with patients gasping for air and nighttime skies glowed as busy crematories burned bodies in the open air.

At the time, India was vaccinating those most vulnerable for free, but states flagged shortages. Vaccinations were opened to all adults in May, but Modi's government switched from taking the lead on vaccine availability to try to get them distributed to where they were most needed.

Instead, the federal government would buy half of all vaccines made and would continue giving free shots to 300 million health care and frontline workers, along with those older than 45. States and private hospitals would split the remaining shots to vaccinate over 600 million adults younger than 45.

However, experts warned that vaccine makers might prioritize sales to the private sector to reap more profits. One state health minister said the Serum Institute of India, which is making the AstraZeneca vaccine mostly used in India, wouldn't respond to the state's...