India has reported more than 1.5 crore positive cases of COVID-19 since January 30, 2020. With over 1.8 lakh deaths and nearly 86% of the positive cases having recovered, India has now approved three vaccines to be given to the population.
In the first phase, the government intends to vaccinate over one crore health workers followed by two crore other frontline workers. The Centre will bear the cost of vaccinating these three crore COVID-19 warriors.
Since March 1, government started vaccination for people above the age of 60 and those living with co-morbidities. From April 1, the government started vaccinating people everybody the age of 45.
Beginning May 1, the government intends to open vaccination for people above the age of 18 at private sectors
Covaxin will ₹600 for states and ₹1200 for private hospitals, according to Bharat Biotech's press release on April 24.
The cost to export the vaccine will be $15 - 20.
These prices were released under the Government of India's guidelines for phase three of the vaccination drive.
Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla on Thursday mentioned that it was likely that people will have to take the third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine a year after being fully vaccinated. This comes as many new mutations are being reported in the original genome of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
After reports of six blood clotting events and two deaths caused after taking the Jonson and Johnson single dose vaccine in the US, the Food and Drug Administration has decided to halt the administration of the vaccine to assess the reasons for clotting among all the six women.
Despite, the announcement by several states of shortage in their COVID-19 vaccine stock, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called for the nation to observe three days of #TikaUtsav. April 11 to April 14 will be celebrated as Tika Utsav.
After Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope said that the state was facing a shortage of vaccines and that the Health ministry was giving lesser doses to the state, Union Health Minister Dr. Harshvardhan took to Twitter to suggest that there is no shortage of vaccines as well as the Center is not creating any partisanship. He tweeted that Maharashtra and Rajasthan, two non-BJP run states, were those who received some of the highest doses.
He also said that over 2.4 crores are available in stock and 1.9 crore are in the pipeline.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray both received their second shot of the COVID-19 vaccine on April 8. Both took Bharat Biotech produced Covaxin. Modi took his shot at AIIMS, Delhi while Thackeray received his shot at JJ Hospital, Mumbai.
As many as 26 COVID-19 vaccination centers in Mumbai and almost all centers in Satara and Sangli have stopped vaccination, according to Dr. Rajesh Tope, Maharashtra health minister due to the depletion of vaccines.
Tope also claimed that Maharashtra with a population of 12 crore has only received 1.04 crore vaccine doses and only has 9 lakh doses remaining so far. Daily, the state has been vaccinating close to 4 lakh people daily, thus leaving the state with stock worth only 2-3 days.
As many as 26 COVID-19 vaccination centers in Mumbai and almost all centers in Satara and Sangli have stopped vaccination, according to Dr. Rajesh Tope, Maharashtra health minister due to the depletion of vaccines.
Tope also claimed that Maharashtra with a population of 12 crore has only received 1.04 crore vaccine doses and only has 9 lakh doses remaining so far. Daily, the state has been vaccinating close to 4 lakh people daily, thus leaving the state with stock worth only 2-3 days.
The Union Health Ministry has released a list of 20 illnesses that will be considered as co-morbidities and will permit people between the ages of 45-59 suffering from any of the listed co-morbidities.
They have also released the certificate people between this age group needs to get signed by a registered medical practitioner.
The Center has also released the list of eligible private hospitals and uploaded it on the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare website which can be accessed even through the Co-Win and Arogya Setu applications.
Citizens above the age of 60 and those living with co-morbidities above the age of 45 will have to pay around ₹ 250 per dose of the vaccine at the 20,000 odd private centers for COVID-19 vaccination beginning on March 1.