As India reels under the second wave of coronavirus, the registration for the third phase of Covid-19 vaccination for everyone above 18 years of age, started at 4 pm on Wednesday. The government has categorically stated that no walk-ins will be allowed for vaccination of people between the age of 18 and 45 years and self-registration will have to be done on CoWIN website or Aarogya Setu app.

However, as lakhs of people tried to register themselves to get the jab, people were met with server issues and the Co-WIN website remained unresponsive for several minutes.

Registration for 18 plus began on CoWIN, Aarogya Setu and UMANG App at 4 pm today. Appointments at state government centres and private centres can be made depending on how many vaccination centers ready on May 1.

With the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic severely hitting the country, the Indian government on April 19 opened vaccinations to everyone above 18 years of age from May 1.

An eligible candidate can log into the Co-WIN portal using the link www.cowin.gov.in and click on the “Register/Sign In yourself” tab to register for COVID-19 vaccination.

In January 2021, India approved Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine Covishield which is being manufactured by Serum Institute of India (SII) and Covaxin from Bharat Biotech. Notably, earlier this month, the DCGI also gave its nod to Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine which is expected to be available in early May.

Amid reports stating that some states are facing a shortage of COVID vaccine doses, the central government on April 26 clarified that over 1 crore doses are still available with the states/UTs to be administered and more than 80 lakh vaccine doses, in addition, will be received by the states/UTs in the next 3 days.

The cumulative number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country stands at 14,77,27,054 as per the 8 pm provisional report on April 27.

Bharat Biotech has announced that will sell its Covaxin to state governments at Rs 600 per dose, will charge Rs 1,200 per dose from the private hospitals.

SII has announced that Covishield will be available to state governments at Rs 400 per dose and private hospitals at Rs 600 per dose.

Centre’s Liberalised and Accelerated Phase 3 Strategy of Covid-19 Vaccination
The Centre has allowed everyone above the age of 18 to get vaccine against Covid-19 from May 1.

Covid vaccine manufacturers empowered to release up to 50 per cent of their supply to state governments and in the open market at a pre-declared price.

States empowered to procure additional vaccine doses directly from the manufacturers, as well as open up vaccination to any category of people above the age of 18 for the same.

The Centre’s vaccination drive will continue as before, providing free vaccination for essential and priority populations as defined earlier i.e health care workers, frontline workers and population above 45 years.