Health min: May start vaccination of 50+ by mid-March

Health min: May start vaccination of 50+ by mid-March

New Delhi:06.02.2021 

The third phase of vaccination against Covid, for citizens above the age of 50 years and those who are younger but with serious comorbidities, is likely to begin in March, possibly around the middle of the month, health minister Harsh Vardhan said in the Lok Sabha on Friday.

Vardhan was replying to a

bunch of questions on vaccination during question hour that lasted barely 15 minutes, with the opposition protesting the contentious farm bills. The Centre had indicated that the over-50 group would receive shots soon, and there might be an initial preference for persons over 60. TNN

Daily Covid testing in state dips to 58k

Daily Covid testing in the state has been on a slide, with the average daily count below 58,000 in the first week of February after staying at 63,000-plus towards Januaryend. Officials have flagged 9 districts for conducting less than 140 tests per million, as asked by ICMR. P 3

No DCGI panel nod for Pfizer vaccine

DCGI’s subject expert committee has denied emergency use authorisation to Pfizer’s vaccine on the ground that causality of its reported adverse events was under probe even as the company said Friday it was withdrawing its application. P 14

‘22 nations have sought vax, 15 have been given’

Health minister Harsh Vardhan said so far 22 countries have asked India for the vaccine to be provided. “Of them, the government has provided 15 countries with the vaccine either as aid or through an agreement. Till February 1, 56 lakh doses of grant assistance and 105 lakh doses on contract basis have been sent to these nations,” he said. “Within that group, there is a subgroup of people above 60,” he added, indicating that priority may be given to those above 60 years. So far, over five million beneficiaries have been vaccinated. The government plans to inoculate around three crore health and frontline workers by April, followed by the “priority” population group of those above 50 years and those younger but with severe co-morbidities. With adequate supplies of vaccines, it is possible that multiple priority groups may be covered simultaneously.

› India fastest to reach 5m jabs in 21 days, P 14