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HEALTH-VIRUS-INDIA-VACCINE
India to vaccinate over-60s from March 1
NEW DELHI, Feb 24, 2021 (BSS/AFP) – India plans to expand its vast but
faltering coronavirus vaccination programme from March 1 by offering jabs to
the over 60s, the government said Wednesday.
The country began vaccinating its 1.3-billion population last month and
plans to inoculate 300 million people by July, but so far the rollout has
been limited to healthcare workers and other frontline staff.
However, from Monday people over 60 and those over 45 with multiple
medical conditions can be vaccinated for free at 10,000 government hospitals
and nearly 20,000 private clinics for a charge.
“Those who want to get vaccinations from private hospitals will have to
pay. The amount to be paid will be decided and declared by the health
ministry within the next three to four days,” Union Minister Prakash
Javadekar said after a cabinet meeting.
The vaccination programme, one of the world’s largest, has so far seen
12.2 million shots administered, according to the health ministry.
But at the current pace it will take several years to inoculate 300
million people.
The vaccines being used are the AstraZeneca jab, made domestically by
Indian giant the Serum Institute, and the homegrown Covaxin developed by
Bharat Biotech, which is yet to complete trials.
The makers of Russia’s Sputnik V have also applied for emergency use
approval.
The head of Serum, which other poor countries are relying on for supplies
of the AstraZeneca vaccine, said on Sunday it had been “directed to
prioritise the huge needs of India”.
Some regions of the country have seen an uptick in infections in recent
weeks including in the western state of Maharashtra, which has imposed new
restrictions on gatherings.
BSS/AFP/ARS/1852 hrs