‘Get COVID-19 vaccination 24*7’: Government removes time cap

In a bid to ramp up the COVID-19 vaccination drive in India, the Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan on Wednesday informed that the time cap on hospitals has been removed.

In order to ramp up the vaccination drive against novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in the country, the government on Wednesday permitted round-the-clock COVID-19 vaccination. The immunisation drive which began on Monday has received a fresh boost with the makers of the indigenous Covaxin announcing that it has shown an interim efficacy of 81 percent in Phase 3 clinical trials.

This comes hours after the government permitted all private hospitals to give the coronavirus vaccines if they adhere to the laid down norms, while the 9 AM to 5 PM timing has also been done away with.

The cumulative number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered since January 16 in the country crossed 1.63 crore on Wednesday evening, the Union Health Ministry said.

Above 45-Years-Old Are Getting Vaccinated For COVID-19

As many as 8,44,884 people who are more than 60 years old and 1,04,263 people aged 45 and above with specific co-morbidities have received their first jab in the second phase of the exercise which began on March 1.

"The government has lifted the time restriction to increase the speed of vaccination. People can now get vaccinated 24x7 according to their convenience. Prime Minister Narendra Modi understands the value of health as well as the time of citizens," Health Minister Harsh Vardhan tweeted in Hindi, a day after he got the COVID-19 vaccine.

President Was Administered Coronavirus Vaccine

President Ram Nath Kovind was administered the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at an army hospital in the national capital on Wednesday. Several other prominent people including Union Minister Hardeep Puri, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, Meghalaya Governor Satya Pal Malik, and Sikkim Governor Ganga Prasad also received their first jabs.

The Indian Council of Medical Research, the country's apex research body, and Bharat Biotech announced that phase 3 results of Covaxin, developed by them, have shown an interim vaccine efficacy of 81 percent in preventing COVID-19, and dubbed it as an important milestone in vaccine discovery.

"The bench-to-bedside journey of completely indigenous COVID-19 vaccine in less than eight months' time showcases the immense strength of Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India) to fight the odds and stand tall in the global public health community.

"It is also a testament to India's emergence as a global vaccine superpower," said Dr Balram Bhargava, Director General, ICMR, said on Wednesday.