Vaccination should be free: health expert

A COVID-19 patient receives primary treatment outside LLR Hospital amid a shortage of beds, in Kanpur on Sunday. Pic/PTI

COVID-19 vaccines should be provided free of cost as any public health emergency requires public finance support, a prominent public healthcare expert advocated on Sunday.

Public Health Foundation of India chief Professor K Srinath Reddy said, "Vaccination should be free... Virtually, all economists in the world agree on it. So, there is no question of any country charging for public health emergency... [asking] people to buy (vaccines)," he said. He said that if somebody wants to have the comfort of going to a private hospital of their choice and getting vaccinated, then they can pay service charge there but vaccination itself should be free.

On the current wave, he said if "super-spreader" events stop and everyone wears mask, cases will start dropping within three weeks. Asked if India will have a third wave, he said it could because even if the vaccination proceeds very well, the virus may still stay with us in milder form and may come back again.

No walk-ins for 18-44 age group

The government has made it mandatory for the 18-44 age group to register themselves on the CoWIN portal and get an appointment for vaccination, saying walk-ins will not be allowed initially to avoid a "chaos" at centres. Registration opens from April 28.

Bharat Biotech wants 2-year shelf life for Covaxin

Bharat Biotech has written to the Drugs Controller General of India seeking extension of the shelf-life of its COVID-19 vaccine, Covaxin, from six to 24 months, sources said on Sunday. The Hyderabad firm was given permission for sale and distribution of Covaxin with shelf life of six months when stored at two to eight degrees Celsius. "Now, we are herewith applying for the extension... to 24 months when stored at 2-8 degrees Celsius," it said in its application to the.

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