Second dose of Covishield after 12 weeks

The Chairman of the COVID-19 workforce, Dr C.N. Ashwath Narayan stated that Covaxin will hereafter, only be administered to those who have received a first dose over six weeks ago. As for Covishield, the second dose will be given only 12 weeks post the first dose, and those who have crossed the age of 45 years will be inoculated on a priority basis.    

He added that the making of an app, which will be linked to the Co-WIN portal is under progress, after which people aged 18-44 can be vaccinated based on the availability of vaccine stock. It has also been considered to extend the vaccination programme to frontline workers and those employed under essential services. People working in the cremation of deceased COVID-19 patients will be termed frontline workers and covered under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana insurance.  

The vaccination programme will be undertaken in spacious areas such as large halls, stadiums, school buildings and playgrounds so as to curb the spread of infections during vaccination at primary health centres and hospitals. Home isolation of COVID-19 patients in rural areas and urban slums will be suspended henceforth. 

A new policy concerning the oxygen crisis will be framed within a period of four to five days spanning areas such as production and use of oxygen in the State, installation and development of basic infrastructure, oxygen generator, bottling units and so on. A thousand machines developed by the DRDO will be utilized for regulating oxygen on an experimental basis. In districts lacking oxygen bottling units, 900 automatic machines (₹ 10,000) and 100 manual machines (₹ 6,000) will be produced and installed.