India begins the second phase of the world’s largest COVID-19 vaccination campaign. The first phase of COVID vaccination was reserved only for healthcare and frontline workers, phase 2 vaccination is for the general public.
Two vaccines – Covishield, developed by Oxford-AstraZeneca and manufactured by SII, and Covaxin, developed and manufactured by Bharat Biotech are being used in India.
The Health ministry has asked all the States and UTs to keep a vaccination scale-up plan ready. This includes the weekly and fortnightly plans. These plans will be helpful for scaling up the no of doses administered both within the government and private facilities.
The Health Ministry has also said that training will be provided to the health workers and other staff who will administer the vaccination and other standard procedures in the centers for the next two days.
According to the government sources, the private facilities will be able to collect a “service charge” of up to Rs 100, which is additional from the beneficiaries to meet the operational expenses they will be incurring during the vaccination drive against COVID-19. This will be in addition to the cost of the vaccines.
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Private hospitals which are functioning as COVID-19 vaccination centers can charge up to ₹250 per person per dose. The Union Health Ministry has announced a list of 20 medical conditions that will enable those aged between 45 and 59 years to avail the vaccine. This list was announced on Feb 27.
LIST OF 20 MEDICAL CONDITIONS:
1. Heart failure with hospital admission in the past year
2. Post cardiac transplant/Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD)
3. Left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVEF < 40%)
4. Moderate or Severe Valvular Heart Disease
5. Congenital heart disease with severe PAH or Idiopathic PAH
6. Coronary Artery Disease with past CABG/PTCA/ MI and Hypertension/Diabetes on treatment
7. Angina and Hypertension/Diabetes treatment
8. CT/MRI documented stroke and Hypertension/Diabetes on treatment
9. Pulmonary artery hypertension and Hypertension/ Diabetes on treatment
10. Diabetes (>10 years or with complication) and Hypertension on treatment
11. Kidney/Liver/Hematopoietic stem cell transplant: Recipient/ On wait-list
12. End stage Kidney Disease on hemodialysis/ CAPD
13. Current prolonged use of oral corticosteroids/ immunosuppressant medications
14. Decompensated cirrhosis
15. Severe respiratory disease with hospitalizations in last two years/FEVI <50%
16. Lymphoma/ Leukemia/ Myeloma
17. Diagnosis of any solid cancer on or after July1, 2020 or currently on any cancer therapy
18. Sickle Cell Disease/ Bone marrow failure/Aplastic Anemia/Thalassemia Major
19. Primary Immunodeficiency Diseases/ HIV infection
20. Persons with disabilities due to Intellectual disabilities/ Muscular Dystrophy/ Acid attack with involvement of respiratory system/Persons with disabilities having high support needs/Multiple disabilities including deaf-blindness.
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