India Coronavirus Dispatch: Co-Win app not needed to get vaccinated

Vaccine charges at private hospitals, doctor's certificate needed for those with comorbidities, Bharat Biotech's request to test Covaxin on children-news relevant to India's fight against Covid-19

IN NUMBERS: Over 16,500 fresh cases reported

India reported 16,577 fresh coronavirus infections on Friday, taking the cumulative caseload to 11,063,491, according to a report in the Scroll. The fresh cases were slightly lower than Thursday’s count of 16,738. The country saw 120 deaths due to the pandemic, taking the death toll to 156,825, according to central health ministry data. The active caseload is at 155,986, while the total recoveries have surged to 10,750,680. As many as 13.4 million healthcare and frontline workers have been inoculated since the nationwide inoculation programme kicked off on January 16. Read more here

Private hospitals could charge Rs 400 for a shot of Covid-19 vaccine

Private hospitals may charge an estimated Rs 400 for a shot of Covid-19 vaccine when they become a part of the vaccination programme, a report in ThePrint said that cited a top official in the Union Ministry of Health & Welfare. The estimate includes a Rs 100 charge to pay nurses’ fees and account for miscellaneous expenses. A price of Rs 400 a shot would translate into an overall expense of Rs 800 for the two-dose regimen required for the vaccines being administered currently. The report said the estimates may change as discussions progress. So far, private hospitals have only served as vaccination centres, with the government procuring the vaccines. Read more here

Co-Win app not necessary to get vaccinated: Head of vaccination drive

It is not necessary to download the Co-Win app to get vaccinated, the Chairman of the Empowered Panel for Covid vaccination in India R S Sharma told the Quint. Sharma said the authorities are working to ramp up the vaccination drive and also make the process easier. "It’s not necessary to download the CoWIN app. The Aarogya Setu app can also be used to register... not necessary that only one person can be registered on your app, other people can also be registered using the same app,” Sharma told the Quint. Read more here

Those with comorbidities will need doctor's certificate to get shots: Task force member

People with preexisting conditions that sign up to get vaccinated in the second phase of the rollout will need a doctor's certificate, the head of the operations research group of the Covid-19 task force N K Arora told The Hindu. The second phase is slated to kick off from March 1 for people above 60 years of age and also those above 45 years of age with comorbidities. The vaccines will be available at both government and private hospital vaccination sites. Read more here

Bharat Biotech asked to submit efficacy data for testing vaccine on children

Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech has been asked to submit data of Covaxin's efficacy by an expert body under India's top drug regulator to consider the drugmaker's request to test the vaccine on children, a report in The Indian Express said. Also, Dr Reddy’s Laboratories, which sought emergency approval for Russian-made Sputnik V, has been asked to submit data from Indian clinical trials which demonstrates a prompt immune response, the report said. Read more here