In the middle of a serious rise of COVID-19 positive cases in the country, the Government of India’s verdict to make vaccination available to all adults aged from 18 to 45 from May 1st is seen as a potential opportunity for people to arm themselves against the novel coronavirus.
As the third phase of the vaccination drive starts in India from May 1st, the Government on 22nd April announced the guidelines and steps to be followed and we got everything covered up for you!
The government on Thursday announced that Co-WIN, the official digital portal of India, and the Arogya Setu app will be open for registrations from the 28th of April. All citizens from the age group 18 to 45 are now eligible to take the vaccine.
Further, by using @MyGovIndia as a medium, they stated that all the documentation required and the process will be the same as the first two phases and there will strictly be no on spot registrations for the phase 3 age group of people.
An official also stated that “All the adjustments like age and other criteria have already been updated on the digital portals and we are all set to keep it open for the public on the expected date when vaccination will be open for all adults.”
Even after the start of phase 3, all the rules that existed before about the vaccines received by private institutions and the cost i.e. INR 250 will be the same and can be acquired from the vaccine manufacturers directly.
Liberalized Pricing and Accelerated National COVID-19 Vaccination Strategy published a statement which clearly states that “Apart from the people aged 18 to 45, Vaccines will be accessible to healthcare workers, frontline COVID warriors, and people above the age of 45, will be completely free and the cost will be borne by the Government of India and they must be given highest priority even after the 1st of May.”
All the vaccine manufacturers are ordered to supply 50 percent of their production to the state Governments and the price would be declared in advance by the manufacturers. The remaining half production of doses can be acquired by states, private hospitals, and industrial manufacturers, companies, etc.
Health secretary Rajesh Bhushan further firmly stated that “Vaccines should not be sold by pharmacists or chemist shops in open markets and there will also be strict monitoring on the prices quoted by the private organizations that have access to the vaccine doses.”
Other than the Government of India vaccination centers where eligibility would be all adult citizens of the country, all the government-run vaccination centers will run on the same guidelines that exist today i.e. healthcare workers (HCWs), frontline workers (FLWs), and population above 45 years of age.