People in 18-44 Age Group Can Choose COVID-19 Vaccine as Per Preference: CoWin Chief RS Sharma

New Delhi: People in the age group of 18-44 years who will be eligible to get vaccinated from May 1 can choose jab according to their preferences at private centres, RS Sharma, the chairperson of an empowered committee on Covid-19 vaccination, told CNN-News18. Healthcare, essential workers, people above 45+ (the lot eligible for the vaccination till now) did not have the option to choose between Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin and Oxford-AstraZeneca’s Covishield, the two vaccines being administered in India.

Readers of the 18-44 age group should note that they can take the vaccine of their choice at only private centres as they will make public the options available with them. Unlike government centre where vaccine is free, people will have to pay for jabs at private centres.

“The government centres will continue to vaccinate (beneficiaries with) whatever vaccines they are getting. And obviously if they are giving the second dose, they will also have to ensure that the second dose is of the same vaccine as the first dose…Private centres will declare as to which vaccines they are (using for) vaccinating, and what the prices of those vaccines are,” Sharma told the leading daily.

“The CoWin portal will be able to show the prices and the vaccine types (at private centres),” Sharma, who is also the chief of Cowin platform, added.

On April 19, the Union Government announced that everyone above the age of 18 will be eligible to get a vaccine against Covid-19 from May 1.

In phase 3 of the vaccination drive, vaccine manufacturers would supply 50 per cent of their monthly Central Drugs Laboratory (CDL) released doses to the Government of India (GoI) and would be free to supply the remaining 50 per cent doses to the State government and in the open market.

All vaccination would be part of the National Vaccination Programme, and mandated to follow all protocols such as being captured on CoWIN platform, linked to AEFI reporting and all other prescribed norms.

Stocks and price per vaccination applicable in all vaccination centres will also have to be reported real-time.

Vaccination will continue to be provided free of cost to the eligible population as defined earlier which include Health Care Workers (HCWs), Front Line Workers (FLWs) and all people above 45 years of age at Government of India (GoI) vaccination centres.