India launches Covid-19 vaccines for people aged 18+ in May

India launches Covid-19 vaccines for people aged 18+ in May

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“In a meeting chaired by [Prime Minister] Narendra Modi, an important decision has been taken to allow vaccination for anyone over the age of 18 from May 1, “the statement said. He added that India is vaccinating people at the world record pace and we will continue to do so with even greater momentum. “

However, it is unclear whether the second most populous country in the world, with almost 1.4 billion people, currently has enough vaccines to meet the growing demand. At present, only people who are health workers, front workers or 45 years and older are eligible to be vaccinated in India, and the vaccine supply has already dried up in some places, with at least five states reporting serious shortages.
Meanwhile, a fresh wave of the coronavirus pandemic is sweeping the country. According to the Ministry of Health, India has so far recorded 15,061,919 cases of Covid-19 and 178,769 deaths. The country recently added a million new cases in less than a week, surpassing 14 million cases on Thursday.

With this latest announcement, India’s vaccination campaign will be divided into two parts. Government centers will continue to provide free vaccinations to health workers, frontline workers and those 45 years of age or older. But from May 1, private vaccination providers will be able to upload vaccines and provide them to anyone 18 years or older.

The Indian government does not plan to use imported vaccines it authorizes, but private suppliers do. The government has taken steps to expand the availability of vaccines; last week, it was quickly detected for the use of emergencies for Covid-19 vaccines approved in other countries.

Under the ‘Covid-19 Vaccination Program’ Liberated and Accelerated Phase 3 Strategy ‘, Indian vaccine manufacturers would provide 50% of their monthly doses to central government; they are then free to deliver the remaining doses of 50% to state governments and on the open market.

India produces more than 60% of all vaccines sold worldwide, and is home to the Serum Institute of India (SII), the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer. The country is partnering with COVAX, a global initiative-sharing initiative that offers discounts or free doses for lower-income countries.

In light of this crisis, however, the Indian government and SII have shifted the focus to the priority of their own citizens.

According to India’s website, India has administered more than 123 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine as of Monday.

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