Vaccine registration for all adults to start April 28

The inoculation process and documents to be submitted to get the jab remains the same. 

The central government had announced that the vaccination for those above 18 years will begin acrossthe country from May 1 as part of the third phase of the inoculation drive. 

Certain modifications, including the age criteria and a few other features, have been done and theCoWIN platform is ready to meet the rising demand as is expected once the vaccination for all is openedup, an official said. 

From May 1, the present system of private COVID-19 vaccination centres receiving doses from thegovernment and charging up to Rs 250 per dose will cease to exist and private hospitals will procuredirectly from vaccine manufacturers. 

According to the Liberalised Pricing and Accelerated National COVID-19 Vaccination Strategy, COVID-19vaccination will continue to be free for eligible population groups comprising healthcare workers,frontline workers and people above 45 years of age in government vaccination centres, which receivedoses from the government of India. 

Vaccine manufacturers would make an advance declaration of the price for 50 per cent supply thatwould be available to state governments in the open market before May 1. 

Based on this price, states, private hospitals, industrial establishments may procure vaccine doses frommanufacturers. 

Private hospitals would have to procure their supplies of COVID-19 vaccine exclusively from the 50 percent supply earmarked for other than the government of India channel. 

“While the Centre has liberalised the vaccination policy, it does not mean that vaccines will be sold inpharmacists or chemist shops in the open market,” health secretary Rajesh Bhushan had clarified on Wednesday. 

The price charged for vaccination by private hospitals would be monitored, he said. 

“The present dispensation where private COVID vaccination centres receive doses from the governmentand can charge up to Rs 250 per dose will cease to exist,” the Union health ministry said. 

Vaccine manufacturers would supply 50 per cent of their monthly Central Drugs Laboratory (CDL)released doses to the government of India and would be free to supply the remaining 50 per cent dosesto state governments and in the open market. 

For government of India vaccination centres, the eligible population would be the same, which existstoday, that is healthcare workers (HCWs), frontline workers (FLWs) and population above 45 years ofage. 

For other than the government of India channel, the eligibility would be all adult citizens of the country,the document said. 

Vaccination against COVID-19 will continue to be free for eligible population groupsin all those government COVID vaccination centres which receive vaccine doses from the centralgovernment.