India has now become the worst COVID-19 hit country in the world. The country is witnessing the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and that too much deadlier than before. However, vaccination in India has also progressed a lot. The only way to get rid of this pandemic now is to vaccinate more and more people. Vaccination in India will now be open to everyone above 18 years from May 1. More about vaccination from WHO.
COVID-19 Vaccines in India
At present, there are two COVID-19 vaccines available in India. They are Covishield, and COVAXIN. Covishield is manufactured by Serum Institute. On the other hand, COVAXIN is a product of Bharat Biotech. Recently, ICMR announced that COVAXIN is 100 percent effective on severe COVID-19 cases. In a few days, Russia’s Sputnik V will also be available in India.
Sputnik V is very similar to Covishield. Both vaccines are equally effective against the virus. They give around 92 percent protection against COVID-19. Sputnik V has been approved in more than 60 countries so far. Hungary, UAE, Iran, Argentina are a few of them. In India, Hyderabad-based, Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories will import the first 125 million doses of the Sputnik V vaccine.
Currently in India, another vaccine named ZyCov-Di is under the trial phase. It is being manufactured by Ahmedabad-based, Zydus-Cadila. We can also expect Hyderabad-based Biological E’s Covid vaccine by August 2021. The vaccine has successfully completed phase 1 and phase 2 trials. It is currently undergoing phase 3 trials.
All the available vaccines in India adhere to two doses. Every individual is supposed to get 2 shots of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Vaccination Prices
The vaccination in public hospitals in India is completely free. No cost vaccination is available at Government hospitals. However, private hospitals are charging 250 INR for a single dose of the vaccine. As per the Government’s orders, no hospitals could charge more than Rs. 250. From May 1st, the vaccine will be available for everyone above 18 years of age. Several states have decided to make the COVID-19 vaccines free for their citizens.
How to Register for COVID-19 Vaccination?
In December 2020, the Government of India launched the Co-WIN app. This app is designed for citizens to self-register for the vaccination process. However, the app is user-friendly. Besides that, users can easily access it. Interested citizens can register themselves for vaccination there. All they need to do is upload a few documents for verification and they’re good to go.
