Will COVID-19 vaccine be administered free of cost in Phase 2? Details here

India is all set to kickstart the second phase of its COVID-19 vaccination program from March 1. While the first phase of the Coronavirus vaccination drive focused on healthcare and frontline workers, the second phase would be dedicated to those above 60 years of age and those above 45 years with co-morbidities. With the Centre bearing expenses for the first phase, will the second phase also be free of cost? 

Will vaccines be free in phase 2 as well? 

The Union Cabinet has announced that the second phase of the vaccination drive will take place not only across the 10,000 designated government facilities but also in 20,000 private hospitals/vaccination centres for the first time. People above 60 years of age and those over 45 years with comorbidities would be allowed to avail the vaccine which would be available to them, either at a cost or for free. While the government hospitals will administer the vaccine free of cost, private facilities will charge for inoculation. The amount would be announced by the Government of India soon. 

Elaborating on this, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar stated, "The amount they would need to pay will be decided by the health ministry within 3-4 days as they are in discussion with manufacturers and hospitals".

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COVID-19 vaccination in India

On January 3, the Drugs Controller General of India accepted the recommendations of the Subject Expert Committee of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation, paving way for the approval of two 'Made in India' vaccines-- COVISHIELD and COVAXIN. 

On January 16, PM Modi launched the pan-India rollout of the world's largest vaccination drive in India via video conferencing. The first phase of the inoculation drive covered healthcare workers and frontline workers. The doses were administered by the government free of cost. So far, 1,23,66,633 beneficiaries have been inoculated out of which over 14.8 lakh have been administered the second dose of the vaccine as well.

Notably, India has also won global praise for its "Vaccine Maitri" program which aids poor and developing countries amidst the global pandemic. So far, the country has gifted domestically produced vaccines—COVISHIELD and COVAXIN—to over 20 countries, including those in the Caribbean and the Middle East. 

Read: Phase 2 Of COVID Vaccination To Start From March 1; Inoculation At Private Hospitals Too

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