All above 45 years of age to get Covid-19 vaccine from April 1: Govt

The government has decided to open up its Covid-19 vaccination drive for all above 45 years of age from April 1, and requested that all eligible people should “immediately register and get vaccinated”. The rest of the population could be considered for vaccination coverage once the current stage is over.

“Supply chains and supply lines are intact. We are going stage-wise on the advice of experts and doctors, and will do the same in the next phase as well. I am sure everyone will appreciate today’s decision and come forward to get the shot,” Union minister Prakash Javadekar told reporters after the Cabinet meeting on Tuesday.

So far, only those above 45 who had certain co-morbidities were allowed to take the vaccine after producing a letter from a registered doctor. This requirement will be done away with for this age group from April 1.

The government has also approved expanding the dosage interval for Covishield from 28 days to 4-8 weeks in the light of scientific evidence that the latter produces enhanced immunity among the beneficiaries.

In a communication to all states, Union health secretary Rajesh Bhushan said the CoWIN software was being modified to do away with the need for confirmation of co-morbidities at the time of registration. Apart from that, auto-scheduling of second dose of Covishield on the 29th day has been removed. The beneficiaries would be free to choose the second dose date in the four to eight week period.       

At the Cabinet briefing, Javadekar said an adequate amount of Covid vaccines was available in the country, and that there was no shortage anywhere.

Registrations for all above 45 will open from April 1, a health ministry official said. Less than 5 per cent of India’s population has been vaccinated against Covid so far. More than 3.25 million doses were administered in the last 24 hours in the country, the highest so far. The government has said the pace will pick up further.

With the country witnessing a second wave in several states, Javdekar stressed that masks and social distancing would need to be maintained for the next one or two years.

India has vaccinated over 48 million people who have received at least one dose. More than 8 million have received both the doses. In the age group of over 45 years of age, 42,98,310 individuals have received their first dose, according to the health ministry data.

India’s total active caseload has been rising after touching its lowest mark in mid-February. It stood at 345,377 on Tuesday.

Six states -- Maharashtra, Punjab, Karnataka, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, and Tamil Nadu -- together account for nearly 81 per cent of the new cases.