India is all set to begin the second phase of COVID-19 vaccinations from 1 March and people above 60 years of age and those above 45 with co-morbidities are now eligible to get the vaccine. India will also become perhaps the largest country to allow vaccines to be purchased at private hospitals.
According to an announcement made by Union Minister Prakash Javdekar on 24 February, the second phase will also include the involvement of the private sector. There are certain co-morbidities classifications under which the over-45 age group are eligible, and the final list is yet to released by the Health Ministry.
It is important to note that the second phase will have a self-registration step where vaccine beneficiaries will be required to download the Co-WIN 2.0 app and register for the vaccination. However, there are several media reports which have stated that on-site registration at the centers will also be available.
Undoubtedly, there are several questions regarding how the vaccine registration will work, and what documents are required. Can one just walk in and register for a vaccine or how much will it cost?
So to dispel the rumors regarding the second phase of vaccination, in today’s episode we spoke with Dr RS Sharma, who is the Chairman of the Empowered Panel for COVID-19 Vaccination in India, and also the man behind setting up the entire digital infrastructure for vaccine drive.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)