With Two More Vaccines In Pipeline, Govt Likely To Expand Eligibility For COVID Vaccination By Including All Aged Above 50

In a boost for the nationwide COVID-19 vaccination programme, the government is now looking to further expand the eligibility criteria to include those aged more than 50 years for inoculation in the coming months, reports Times of India.

Director of AIIMS Delhi Dr Randeep Guleria, who is a member of the national Covid task force instituted by the government to formulate strategy to fight against the pandemic, said that the drive could be expanded within the next three months to include people who are 50 years and above in age.

The assertion by Dr Guleria came the same day when Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan told the Lok Sabha that the groups being inoculated will be expanded in the coming days because the infection and the scientific community's response to it are dynamic.

Meanwhile, Dr Guleria also said that with the next six to eight weeks, two more vaccines - one developed by Zydus Cadila and another by Russia (Sputnik V) - could get an emergency use authorisation as they have required data.

He also shared that Bharat Biotech and Serum Institute of India (SII) have also been asked to ramp up the production of Covaxin and Covishield vaccines.