Increase vaccine supply

Govt must fast-track approval process, fix distribution issues

The government has reportedly put a temporary hold on all major exports of Covishield vaccines to meet demand at home. It has also announced some schedules and regulations for India’s vaccination programme amid a surge in new cases. In particular, beginning on April 1, any adult born before January 1, 1977 — almost a fifth of the Indian population — will be eligible for a shot of the Covid-19 vaccine. Earlier this age group was eligible only if they could demonstrate co-morbidities of various sorts. The government clearly hopes that this will help speed up a lagging vaccination programme. So