Free COVID-19 vaccination at government centres for 60+, comorbid people from March 1

The third phase of vaccination against Covid-19 pandemic will begin from March 1. It will cover people above 60 and those above 45 years of age with comorbidities. While people will be vaccinated free of cost at government hospitals, those taking the shots at private hospitals will have to pay.

“People above 60 years of age and those above 45 years of age with comorbidities will be vaccinated at 10,000 government and over 20,000 private vaccination centres from March 1,” Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said on Wednesday. “The vaccine will be given free of cost at government centres,” he said, adding that the private centres will charge for the vaccination and the rate will be decided in next three or four days.

Meanwhile, the Union Health Ministry is engaged in talks with vaccine manufacturers and private hospitals to decide the charge for vaccination to all civilians.

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India launched the world’s largest vaccination drive on January 16 for the healthcare and frontline workers. According to government data, over 11 lakh people have been administered two doses of Covid vaccines so far. The cumulative vaccination coverage has crossed 1.14 crore recipients.

India’s drugs regulator on January 3 approved Oxford Covid-19 vaccine Covishield, manufactured by the Pune-based Serum Institute, and the indigenously-developed Covaxin of Bharat Biotech for restricted emergency use in the country.

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