The government declared today after a series of meetings of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on record daily rise in cases of Covid, that vaccinations will be opened for everyone above the 18 of May 1.
In the “liberalized and accelerated Phase 3 policy of COVID-19 vaccination,” all adults will be vaccinated, and states will be able to purchase vaccinations directly from manufacturers, the government said on a day when the country announced a record high of 2.73 lakh cases in a single day.
In January, India started administering two Covid vaccines: Serum Institute of India’s Covishield, produced by Oxford-AstraZeneca, and Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin, which is manufactured in India. Before now, the government has only approved vaccines in a centrally supervised procedure for health professionals, frontline workers, and people over 45.
In recent weeks, states such as Maharashtra, Delhi, and Punjab have called for vaccines to be made more widely available, as well as complaining about vaccine shortages.
“The aim is never to vaccinate whoever likes it, but rather whoever needs it,” a senior official said in a remark that sparked controversy in the state versus center debate.
About the fact that vaccines have been sluggish in comparison to the center’s target, the country has seen over two lakh cases a day in the last several days.
The government recently expedited permits for imported vaccines that had already been cleared in other nations.
PM Modi emphasized vaccination as “the most powerful tool” in the battle against the coronavirus in today’s meetings, urging doctors to persuade more patients to get vaccinated.
“The government has been working hard for over a year to ensure that the maximum number of Indians will get the vaccine in the shortest amount of time,” the Prime Minister said.
In the latest round of the world’s biggest vaccination drive, vaccine pricing, sourcing, eligibility, and administration will be customizable.
- Vaccine producers have been rewarded for increasing production and releasing up to 50% of their output to states and the free market at a set price.
- State governments, private hospitals, commercial institutions, and others will be eligible to purchase vaccine doses from the manufacturers at this expense.
- -Private hospitals will have to get their COVID-19 vaccine solely from the 50% stock set aside for institutions other than those receiving it from the federal government.
- -Private vaccine providers will be required to announce their self-determined vaccination price in a straightforward manner, and eligibility through this channel would be extended to all adults, including anyone over the age of 18, according to the proposal.
- Vaccinations at central government centers provided free of cost, will continue for previous categories – health workers, frontline workers, and those above 45.
- The Centre will allocate vaccines from its share to States or Union Territories based on the number of cases. Vaccine wastage can affect the quota of a state.
- The second dose for existing priority groups will be the priority.
