‘Strenghten the fight’ against Covid: Health minister on booster shots for 18+

India has started the rollout of paid booster shots for all adults from Sunday in a significant moment for the country’s vaccination drive, one of the biggest in the world, amid a  scare over the new highly transmissible XE variant. All those above 18 years of age can get their third dose against Covid at private vaccine centres across the country, the government has said. In a tweet to mark the start of the rollout, health minister Mansukh Mandaviya wrote in Hindi: “Under the leadership of PM @NarendraModi ji, the government has been taking many steps to defeat Covid. In this series, from today onwards, the vaccination of citizens above the age of 18 years has started at private centers for vaccine doses. People above the age of 18 should come forward and get precaution doses and strengthen this fight.”

At a meeting with states and union territories, the central government on Saturday highlighted that “the precaution dose will be of same vaccine which has been used for administration of 1st & 2nd dose.” “It was also informed that no fresh registrations would be required for precaution dose as all due beneficiaries are already registered on CoWIN,” a statement from the health ministry said.

At private vaccine centres, there is an option of both “walk-in” and “online appointment” via the government platform for registration – CoWIN.

The private vaccine centres “can charge up to a maximum of ₹150 as service charge for vaccination over and above the cost of vaccine.” “HCWs (healthcare workers), FLWs (frontline workers) and those aged 60 year or more, shall continue to receive precaution dose vaccination at any CVC, including free of charge vaccination at government vaccination centers,” the heath ministry has underlined.

A day before the rollout, vaccine makers – the Serum Institute of India and Bharat Biotech – announced a cut in prices for doses at vaccine centres.

While Covishield prices have been cut from ₹600 to ₹225, for Covaxin, the prices have been cut from ₹1,200 to 225 at private vaccine centres.