Priority for people over 60 and 45 years in India's Second phase of Covid vaccination

Agencies | New Delhi

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

People aged 60 and above, and those over 45 but with comorbidities will be given priority in the second phase of India’s Covid-19 vaccination that begins on March 1, according to the country’s minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

Shots will be administered at 10,000 government-run centres and 20,000 private centres, informed Union Minister Prakash Javadekar on Wednesday. The jabs at government health centres will be provided free of cost.

"For the general population, we will have to prioritise - we will first go for those aged 60 years and above, and then those aged 50 years and above. Along with that, we will also vaccinate those suffering from comorbidities. We will also segregate them on the basis of the duration of non-communicable diseases - those who have chronic diseases will be given priority," Dr Suneeta Garg, advisor to Indian Council For Medical Research (ICMR), was quoted as saying in an NDTV report.

People suffering from comorbidities like diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, stroke, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases will be prioritised above people with other diseases, she informed.