New Delhi: Everyone above 60 years of age and those over 45 years with comorbidities will be able to get COVID-19 vaccine from March 1 for free at government facilities and for a charge at many private hospitals, the government said Wednesday.
The Cabinet, which met under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, took the decision on the next phase of the vaccination, Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar said at a media briefing here.
“The second phase of the world’s largest vaccination drive will start from Monday in which anybody above 60 years, that may not be less than 10 crore people in India, and 45 years plus with comorbidities will be given vaccines in 10,000 government medical facilities and also over 20,000 private hospitals,” he said. Around 27 crore people are expected to be covered in the second phase of vaccinations.
“Whoever goes to the government centre will be administered vaccine free of cost. The Indian government will pay for them. The government will purchase the necessary doses and will send them to all the states,” Javadekar informed.
Those who want to get vaccination from private hospitals will have to pay, but the amount will be decided by the Health Ministry within the next three-four days as they are in discussions with manufacturers as well as hospitals, stated Javadekar.
Asked if people will have a choice on which vaccine – Covishield or Covaxin – they want to take, Javadekar said India is proud to have two vaccines which are both effective with proven efficacy.
A third vaccine – Russia’s Sputnik V – has also applied for emergency use authorisation. Sputnik V, which is holding trials on 1,600 people in India, has an efficacy rate of 91.6 per cent, which is significantly higher than Covishield’s 70 per cent.
