Covid-19 vaccination open to all above 18 years from May 1: Key points

Covid-19 vaccination will be made available for all citizens above the age of 18 years from May 1 onwards, the government announced on Monday. The much-awaited announcement comes when India has been recording a daily surge of over 200,000 cases of the coronavirus disease for the past five days. “India is vaccinating people at world record pace and we will continue this with even greater momentum,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said during the meeting where the decision to vaccinate all adults in the country was taken.

The move is seen as a major step in controlling the second wave of Covid-19 in which India’s infection tally has reached 15,061,919 and the toll from the viral disease has gone up to 178,769, according to the Union ministry of health and family welfare.

 The first phase of India’s Covid-19 immunisation programme was launched on January 16 this year in which all health and frontline workers were eligible to take the shot. The second stage of the vaccination drive was initiated in two parts on March 1 and on April 1. During this phase, all people above 60 years of age and those over 45 years with comorbidities, accounting for more than 80% Covid-19 mortality in the country were allowed to take the vaccine.