India will offer Covid-19 vaccines to people 18 and older in May

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“In a meeting chaired by [Prime Minister] Narendra Modi, a major decision to allow vaccination to anyone over the age of 18 from May 1, “the statement said.” He added that India is vaccinating people at a world record pace and we will continue to do so at an accelerated pace. “

However, it is unclear whether the second most populous country in the world, with nearly 1.4 billion people, currently has enough vaccines to meet the increased demand. Currently, only people in health care, front-line workers or over 45 are eligible for vaccination in India, and vaccine stocks have already dried up in some places and at least five states are reporting serious shortages.
Meanwhile, a new wave of the coronavirus pandemic is sweeping the country. According to the Ministry of Health, India has so far registered a total of 15,061,919 cases of Covid-19 and 178,769 deaths. The country recently added a million new cases in less than a week, more than 14 million on Thursday.

With this latest announcement, India’s vaccination campaign will be split into two parts. Government centers will continue to provide free vaccines to health professionals, frontline workers, and people 45 or older. But starting May 1, private vaccination providers can bill and provide vaccines to anyone 18 or older.

The Indian government does not intend not to use imported vaccines it authorizes, but private providers can do so. The government has taken steps to increase the availability of vaccines; last week it accelerated emergency approval for Covid-19 vaccines approved in other countries.

Under the “liberalized and accelerated phase 3 strategy of the Covid-19 national vaccination program”, Indian vaccine manufacturers would supply 50% of their monthly doses to the central government; they would then be free to supply the remaining 50% doses to state governments and to the open market.

India produces more than 60% of all vaccines sold worldwide and is home to the Serum Institute of India (SII), the world’s largest vaccine producer. The country has partnered with COVAX, a global vaccine-sharing initiative that offers discounts or free doses to lower-income countries.

In the face of this crisis, the Indian government and SII have shifted focus to prioritizing their own citizens.

According to the Ministry of Health website, India had administered more than 123 million doses of the Covid-19 vaccine since Monday.

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