BIG! VACCINATION FOR ALL for 18 years and above from 1 May - here are key takeaways from this Government decision

The Narendra Modi Government today announced a “Liberalised and Accelerated” Phase 3 Strategy of Covid-19 Vaccination from 1 May 2021. The decision was taken during a meeting chaired by the Prime Minister, according to a government release.

The vaccination will now be allowed for all citizens who are 18 or above from 1 May 2021. During the meeting the PM said that the Government has been working hard from over a year to ensure that maximum numbers of Indians were able to get the vaccine shots.

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Phase-I of the National Covid-19 Vaccination Strategy was launched on 16 January 2021for Health Care Workers (HCWs) and Front Line Workers (FLWs). In the second phase which was started on 1 March 2021 all people above 45 years of age were allowed vaccinations “accounting for more than 80% Covid mortality in the country.”.

As per the government figures the cumulative number of COVID19 vaccine doses administered in the country crossed 12.38 cr today as part of the world’s largest vaccination drive.

Over 12 lakh vaccination doses were administered in the last 24 hours.

As on Day-93 of the vaccination drive (18th April 2021), 12,30,007vaccine doses were given. 9,40,725 beneficiaries were vaccinated across 21,905 sessions for 1st dose and 2,89,282 beneficiaries received 2nd dose of vaccine.

Pricing, Procurement, Eligibility and Administration of vaccines being made flexible in Phase 3 of the World’s Largest Vaccination drive

The main elements of the Liberalised and Accelerated Phase 3 Strategy of the National Covid-19 Vaccination program that would come in effect from 1st May 2021, are as follows:

(i)      Vaccine manufacturers would supply 50% of their monthly Central Drugs Laboratory (CDL) released doses to Government of India and would be free to supply the remaining 50% doses to State Governments and in the open market.

 (ii)    Manufacturers would transparently make an advance declaration of the price for 50% supply that would be available to State Govts. and in open market, before 1 May 2021. Based on this price, State governments, private hospitals, industrial establishments etc would be able to procure vaccine doses from the manufacturers. Private Hospitals would have to procure their supplies of Covid-19 vaccine exclusively from the 50% supply earmarked for other than Govt. of India channel. Private Vaccination providers shall transparently declare their self-set vaccination price. The eligibility through this channel would be opened up to all adults, i.e. everyone above the age of 18.

(iii)    Vaccination shall continue as before in Government of India vaccination centres, provided free of cost to the eligible population as defined earlier i.e. Health Care Workers (HCWs), Front Line Workers (FLWs) and all people above 45 years of age.

(iv)    All vaccination (through Govt. of India and Other than Govt. of India channel) would be part of the National Vaccination Programme, and mandated to follow all protocol 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.

(v)     The division of vaccine supply 50% to Govt. of India and 50% to other than Govt. of India channel would be applicable uniformly across for all vaccines manufactured in the country. However Government of India will allow the imported fully ready to use vaccines to be entirely utilized in the other than Govt. of India channel.

(vi)    Govt. of India, from its share, will allocate vaccines to States/UTs based on the criteria of extent of infection (number of active Covid cases) & performance (speed of administration). Wastage of vaccine will also be considered in this criteria and will affect the criteria negatively. Based on the above criteria, State-wise quota would be decided and communicated to the States adequately in advance.

(vii) Second dose of all existing priority groups i.e. HCWs, FLWs and population above 45 years, wherever it has become due, would be given priority, for which a specific and focused strategy would be communicated to all stakeholders.

(viii) This policy would come into effect from 1 May 2021 and will be reviewed from time to time.