COVID-19 Vaccines In Open Market Likely By Year-End: AIIMS Director
Mumbai: Director of All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Dr Randeep Guleria said on Wednesday that COVID-19 vaccines are likely to be available in the open market by the end of the year or even earlier.
Dr Guleria, who was given the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine today, said that the availability of the vaccine in the open market would only happen when the government fulfils its goal of vaccinating healthcare and frontline workers as well as vulnerable sections of the society like people above the age of 50 years.
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The doctor said that because coronavirus vaccines are freely available, the supply and demand conditions also have to be stabilized.
“This vaccine will be available in the open market only when the prime target – vaccinated people – is covered and equals supply and demand. Hopefully, such a situation will happen by the end of the year or earlier. Then there will be a possibility of vaccine coming in the open market,” said the AIIMS director.
Also Read: COVID19: India Fastest In The World To Vaccinate 7 Million People
Meanwhile, the COVID-19 vaccination campaign in the country continued at a rapid pace. Till Tuesday, 88.5 lakh doses have been given to health and border workers in the country.
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) said in a statement yesterday that a total of 88,57,341 vaccine doses have been given through 1,90,665 sessions. The data was valid until 6 pm yesterday.
Of these, 61,29,745 Healthcare Workers (HCWs) have been given the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine (Covishield/Covaxin) and 2,16,339 HCWs have been administered the second dose. A total of 25,11,257 Frontline Workers (FLWs) have also been administered the first dose of the vaccine.
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