COVID-19 vaccination will be offered to all citizens of the country who are above 18 years of age from 1 May 2021 onwards, the Government of India has just announced. The liberalized and accelerated COVID-19 vaccination drive has been announced after holding a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in which several other important decisions were taken.
“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,” said the prime minister. The pricing, procurement, eligibility, and administration of vaccines are being made flexible in Phase 3 of what the Government of India calls the ‘World’s largest vaccination drive.’
Vaccine manufacturers will be incentivized to help them further scale up the production as well as encourage and attract new national and international companies in the domain. A Government of India release says that vaccine manufacturers will be empowered to release up to 50 percent of their supply to State Governments, and in the open market at a pre-declared price.
Furthermore, state governments will be empowered to procure additional COVID-19 vaccine doses directly from the manufacturers as well as open up vaccination centres to any category of people above the age of 18. Other aspects of the vaccination drive will continue as before, said the Government of India.