PremiumThe vaccination drive, which began on 16 January, will enter its second phase on Monday with people over 60 years and those above 45 with comorbidities being able to get inoculated against Covid-19
With the second phase of the Covid-19 vaccination drive set to start from Monday, the central government has announced that a Covid-19 shot in private hospitals will be charged at ₹250.
"Private hospitals functioning as Covid-19 vaccination centres may recover a charge subject to a ceiling of ₹250 per person per dose," the government said.
The central government on Saturday dismissed rumours being circulated on Whatsapp and other social media platforms about the cost of a Covid-19 vaccine shot.
A WhatsApp message is claiming that the price of the vaccines will be around ₹500. However, the government has dismissed this and called the claims "misleading".
The vaccination drive, which began on 16 January, will enter its second phase on Monday with people over 60 years and those above 45 with comorbidities being able to get inoculated against Covid-19.
Government hospitals will carry out the drive at no cost, as it has been going on, but private facilities which are empanelled under Central Government Health Scheme, Ayushman Bharay and similar State Health Insurance Schemes will charge for the vaccines.
While the Centre had announced that shots would be free at public hospitals, their cost in private hospitals was not revealed. The government had said that the amount will be decided upon in the "next three-four days" and that there would be a cap on it.
This is the first time that the vaccines — Covishield and Covaxin — will be available at private facilities.
Announcement in Gujarat
The Gujarat administration had earlier in the day announced that vaccines will be priced at ₹250 in the private hospitals of the state.
"Price of Covid-19 vaccine in Gujarat will be ₹250 in private hospitals and it will be provided free of cost in the government hospital across the state," said state Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel on Saturday.
Details of next vaccination drive
The government had announced earlier this week that people over 60 years and those above 45 with comorbidities can get coronavirus vaccine from 1 March.
"The second phase of the world's largest vaccination drive will start from Monday in which anybody above 60 years, that may not be less than 10 crore people in the country, and 45 years plus with co-morbidities will be given vaccines in 10,000 government medical facilities and also over 20,000 private hospitals," Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar told a media briefing.
"Whoever goes to the government centre will be administered vaccine free of cost. The Indian government will pay for them. The government will purchase the necessary doses and will send them to all the states."
