HYDERABAD: While the roll out of Covid-19
vaccine for four categories of beneficiaries is set to start in the state after mid-January, the
general public (healthy and those who do not fall in the beneficiary categories) will have to wait till July to get the jabs. State health authorities are expecting the vaccine to be
available in the open market by July-end or early August.
“For beneficiaries in the first phase, including elderly and people with comorbidities, it will be free of cost. However, the vaccine for use by general public will be available at a price in the general market (the cost is not known as of now). In all likelihood, it will be made available in the open market by end of July or August,” director public health Dr G Srinivasa Rao said, adding that Covid-19 vaccination would be administered on voluntary basis and that there was a need for creating awareness among the public.
The entire cost of the first phase of vaccination would be borne by the government. However, there is no clarity yet on whether the state or Centre will bear the cost of the first phase.
The vaccine would be rolled out in the first phase for
healthcare workers, frontline workers of police, municipal department and panchayat raj staff.
“This will be followed by vaccination of the elderly people above 60 years of age and then people below 50 years having various comorbidities. Each of these will be taken up one by one, but in quick succession. To have the desired impact, we need to vaccinate all the vulnerable people as early as possible. Also, not to have much of a time gap in making the vaccine available to the general public will be important for having an impact,” the official added.