Key takeaways from PM Modi's review meeting on Covid-19

New Delhi, Apr 19: Everyone above 18 years of age will be eligible to get vaccinated against COVID-19 from May 1, the central government today after Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a series of meetings over India's response to record daily surges in Covid cases.

The decision comes on a day India reported a new high of 2.73 lakh coronavirus cases in a day. States like Maharashtra, Delhi and Punjab had called for opening up vaccinations and had also complained about running out of vaccine stocks.

Several important decisions taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi today

• Pricing, Procurement, Eligibility and Administration of vaccines being made flexible in Phase 3 of the World's Largest Vaccination drive
• All stakeholders given flexibility to customise to local needs
• Everyone above the age of 18 to be eligible to get vaccine against Covid-19
• Vaccine manufacturers incentivized to further scale up their production, as well as attract new national and international players
• Vaccine manufacturers empowered to release up to 50% of their supply to State Govts. 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
• GoI Vaccination drive to continue as before, providing free vaccination for essential and priority populations as defined earlier i.e HCWs, FLWs and population above 45 years