Covid-19 vaccination for 60 plus people from March 1, free of cost at govt centres: Prakash Javadekar

New Delhi: Union Ministers Prakash Javadekar and Ravi Shankar Prasad briefed the media on Cabinet decisions that were taken by the Narendra Modi government today at National Media Centre.

Prakash Javadekar announced that From March 1, people above 60 years of age and those above 45 years of age with comorbidities will be vaccinated at 10,000 govt & over 20,000 private vaccination centres. The vaccine will be given free of cost at govt centers.

From March 1, people above 60 years of age and those above 45 years of age with comorbidities will be vaccinated at 10,000 govt & over 20,000 private vaccination centres. The vaccine will be given free of cost at govt centres: Union Minister Prakash Javadekar#COVID19 pic.twitter.com/Rxhkkk8eSC

— ANI (@ANI) February 24, 2021

Those who want to get vaccinated from private hospitals will have to pay. 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 & hospitals, said Prakash Javadekar

The move comes after Amit Shah’s request to Health Ministry to speed up the vaccination amid fresh rise in covid-19 cases in some states.

The central government was planning to involve privates sector in vaccination, to engage with private firms and institutions to vaccinate the 50-plus age group to cover a much larger target population of 27 crore individuals.

Recently, Azim Premji, founder chairman of Wipro also suggested the same during an after-budget interaction with CEOs organized by the Bangalore Chamber of Industry and Commerce. He said,“ If the government involves the private hospitals and nursing homes to join the anti-Covid vaccination drive, about 500 million people can be inoculated in two months.”