3RD PHASE: COVID VACCINATION FOR 45+ BEGINS TODAY

The third phase of the Covid-19 vaccination drive, targeting individuals aged 45 years and older, irrespective of their comorbidity status, begins on Thursday. Rajesh Bhushan, Union Health Secretary, had on Tuesday announced that from 1 April all people above 45 years will be eligible for vaccination nationwide.

“From April 1 all people above 45 years of age will be eligible for vaccination. Advance appointments can be booked through http://cowin.gov.in. If you don’t want to do this, you can go to your nearest vaccination centre after 3 pm and go for on-site registration,” Bhushan had said during a press meet on Tuesday.

Bhushan and Dr R.S. Sharma, CEO, National Health Authority (NHA) and Chairperson, Empowered Group on Covid vaccination, also chaired a high-level meeting to review the status, pace, and issues regarding the Covid vaccinations across the country as well as the preparations for the third phase.

In the first phase, starting 16 January, over 3.6 lakh beneficiaries comprising healthcare workers and frontline workers were vaccinated in Delhi. In the second, jabs were given to persons aged 60 and above, and those in 45-59 age bracket with comorbidities.

The vaccination centres will operate from 9 am to 9 pm. Registered beneficiaries will be given the shots

between 9 am and 3 pm, while unregistered ones from 3 pm to 9 pm. They will need to carry either their Aadhaar card or any other valid identity proof, an official said.

In the national capital, the third phase of the Covid vaccination drive is slated to span 192 health facilities, including 136 private hospitals. The vaccines will be administered free of cost at government hospitals and health centres, while up to Rs 250 per dose will be charged at private health facilities, including Rs 100 service charge per dose.

Earlier in the day, Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain said that 65 lakh eligible beneficiaries (aged above 45) will be given the coronavirus vaccine at 500 sites. “We have enough vaccines available. The number of eligible beneficiaries is quite large. We will make efforts to complete the inoculation as soon as possible,” he said. According to North Delhi District Magistrate Isha Khosla, training has been imparted to ASHA and Anganwadi workers who will visit areas in their district to encourage people to take the vaccine.

Meanwhile, the cumulative number of Covid-19 vaccine doses administered in the country crossed 6.43 crore on Wednesday, said the Union Health Ministry. A total of 6,43,58,765 vaccine doses had been given, as per the provisional report till 7 pm yesterday.