India begins next phase to vaccinate its elderly and ill against Covid-19

Those with specified comorbidities will have to produce a medical certificate attested by a registered medical practitioner at the time of vaccination at the chosen Covid vaccine centre

India began next phase of Coronavirus disease (Covid-19) vaccination on Monday for the elderly above 60 years of age, and people between 45 and 59 years of age with comorbidities.

Representational image. (AFP)

For this phase that is likely to cover close to 270 million beneficiaries, self-registration will open 9am onwards on the upgraded Co-WIN website, and will be open till 3pm for same-day appointments.

All persons who are aged, or will attain the age of, 60 years or above as on January 1, 2021 are eligible to register, and in addition, all such persons who are aged, or will attain the age of, 45 years to 59 years as on January 1, 2021, and have any of the government-specified 20 comorbidities will be eligible to take the shot.

“…registration will open at 9.00am on March 1, 2021 (at www.cowin.gov.in).Citizens will be able to register and book an appointment for vaccination, anytime and anywhere, using the Co-WIN 2.0 portal or through other IT applications such as Aarogya Setu etc.,” said Union health and family welfare ministry, in a statement.

According to the health ministry’s Co-WIN guidelines issued on Sunday, one person will be able to register only three more eligible persons using their mobile phone number.

Those with specified comorbidities will have to produce a medical certificate attested by a registered medical practitioner at the time of vaccination at the chosen Covid vaccine centre.

The Central government will procure all the vaccines and supply them free of cost to the states and Union territories, who, in turn, will disburse them to government and private vaccination centres.

Vaccine will be available free of cost at government hospitals and at a capped price of ₹250 per dose at private hospitals. The cost will comprise ₹150 for vaccines and ₹100 as operational charges.

Two vaccines, Covishield and Covaxin, are currently approved for use in India under the ambit of emergency-use authorisation. Close to 10,000 government hospitals and 20,000 odd private hospitals from across the country will be providing the vaccine shot to the general population from March 1 onwards.