COVID-19 Vaccination Opens For Everyone Aged Above 18 From May 1
Mumbai: PM Narendra Modi on Monday chaired a meeting where the government allowed vaccination to everyone above the age of 18 from May 1. The second dose of all existing priority groups, wherever it has become due, would be given priority, the government said.
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The decision on the liberalized and expedited Phase 3 strategy of COVID-19 vaccination was taken in a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
PM Modi said that the government has been working hard for a year to ensure that the maximum number of Indians can get the vaccine in the shortest possible time.
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The government said that the purchase, eligibility, administration of coronavirus vaccines are being made flexible in phase 3 of the proposed largest immunization campaign. COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers have been encouraged to further increase production, attracting new national and international players.
Under Phase 3 of the COVID vaccination strategy, vaccine manufacturers will supply 50 per cent of their monthly Central Drugs Laboratory issued to the Government of India and will be free to supply the remaining 50 per cent of doses to the state governments and the open market.
The Government if India, from its share, will allocate vaccines to states/UTs based on the criteria of extent of infection (number of active Covid cases) & performance (speed of administration). Wastage of vaccine will also be considered in this criteria and will affect the criteria negatively. Based on the above criteria, State-wise quota would be decided and communicated to the States adequately in advance.
The vaccination drive started earlier will continue as before, providing free vaccination for essential and priority populations as defined earlier – healthcare workers, frontline workers and people above 45 years.
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