Government Planning To Widen COVID-19 Vaccine Drive Soon: Health Minister

"A few days ago, the government announced that from April 1 all citizens aged 45 years and above, whether having any comorbidity or not, will be eligible to get vaccinated. The government is already planning to widen the umbrella of COVID-19 vaccine beneficiaries soon," Dr Vardhan said.

The Centre is planning to widen the scope of the COVID-19 immunisation drive by bringing more population groups under its ambit, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said today, days after the government announced that everyone above the age of 45 is eligible to get vaccinated from April 1. He said people have embraced the 'Made in India' vaccines, and it is due to this enthusiasm and trust that the country crossed the last one crore vaccination in just under four days. The countrywide vaccination drive was rolled out on January 16 with healthcare workers getting inoculated first and immunisation of frontline workers began from February 2. The next phase of COVID-19 vaccination has commenced from March 1 for those who are over 60 years of age and for people aged 45 and above with specified comorbid conditions.