New Delhi: Union Minister Prakash Javadekar on Wednesday announced that the second phase of coronavirus vaccination will begin from March 1, that is next week. In this phase, people with an age over 60 years and those above the age of 45 years with comorbidities will be given the COVID-19 vaccine free-of-cost at 10,000 government hospitals. Meanwhile, candidates can also get the vaccine shot from over 20,000 private inoculation centres across the country.
“Those who want to get vaccinated from private hospitals will have to pay. The amount they would need to pay will be decided by the health ministry within 3-4 days as they are in discussion with manufacturers and hospitals,” Javadekar said at a press briefing.
More than 65.2 lakh healthcare and frontline workers received coronavirus vaccine shots in the first phase of vaccination drive.
As coronavirus cases in India are on an upward trend again, the Centre rushed three-member multi-disciplinary teams to at least 10 states and union territories that have shown a sudden surge of the deadly viral disease. The decision comes in view of the emergence of the new strains of COVID-19 in the country, forcing states to impose stricter restrictions and lockdown rules.
The high-level teams have been sent to states including Maharashtra, Kerala, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Punjab, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal, as well as the UT of Jammu and Kashmir.