You can vote? Now, get the vax

Eligible to vote? Now, you are eligible for the vax.

In what seemed to be an eternity in the times of the Covid-19 pandemic, India has now opened its vaccination drive to the citizens who have crossed the threshold of 18 years and have stepped into adulthood. In a meeting chaired by prime minister, Narendra Modi, on Monday, it was decided to open the ongoing vaccination drive to everyone above the age of 18. The third phase of the vaccination drive in India would come into effect from May 1, 2021.

The Phase-I of the National Covid-19 Vaccination Strategy was launched on 16th January 2021. The first phase of vaccination was aimed at securing the protection of Health Care Workers (HCWs) and Front Line Workers (FLWs). The Phase-II was rolled out on March 1, 2021, “focusing on protecting the most vulnerable all people above 45 years of age”. According to a formal statement by the ministry of health, this age group accounted for more than 80% of the Covid mortality in the country.

The vaccine manufacturers have been incentivized to scale up their production, as well as attract new national and international players to ramp up production to offer cover to maximum number of citizens at the shortest possible time, ministry of health posted on twitter. As a part of the relaxations, vaccine manufacturers have been empowered to release up to 50 per cent of their supply to the state governments and in the open market at a per-declared price. Simultaneously, states have been mandated to procure additional vaccine doses directly from the manufacturers, as well as open up vaccination to any category of people above the age of 18, a formal release said.

This latest push for scale of vaccine production and speed of administration, is a giant leap in the direction of vaccination for all in what is being touted as the world’s largest inoculation drive against the Covid-19 virus. “The government has been working hard from over a year to ensure that maximum numbers of Indians are able to get the vaccine in the shortest possible of time,” Prime minister Modi said after the meeting.

 Here are the highlights from the meeting

1. All adults above the legal age of 18 eligible for vaccination

2. Third phase to cover 18-plus citizens under the drive

3. Registrations to open May 1 onwards

4. Manufacturers have been empowered to release up to 50 per cent of their vaccines to the state governments

5. Part of this stock can be released in open market at a pre-declared price

6. States mandated to procure additional vaccine doses directly from the manufacturers