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Covid vaccines not to be sold in pharmacies, producers can sell 50% to buyers other than Centre

YB WEB DESK. Dated: 4/22/2021 12:20:00 PM

New Delhi, Apr 21 Vaccines will not be sold in pharmacies once the third phase of inoculation begins on May 1, the central government said on Wednesday. More than 13 crore doses of the two vaccines approved for emergency use - Covishield and Covaxin - have been administered across the country since the nationwide vaccination drive was launched on January 16 of this year. Permission has been granted to vaccine manufacturers to sell 50 per cent of the vaccines they produce each month to buyers other than the Government of India. The manufacturers have been directed to offer their prices before May 1 for the 50 per cent of vaccines to be made available to states and private hospitals. The country is witnessing an unprecedented surge in new confirmed cases of Covid-19 with 21,57,538 active cases of infection as of Wednesday. Starting May 1, anyone aged 18 or above will be eligible to receive the coronavirus vaccine in India. In this third phase of the nationwide inoculation drive, those aged 45 and above will be able to get vaccinated free of cost at any of the central government’s designated vaccination centres. Vaccines are being procured.