COVID-19: How Maharashtra govt plans to vaccinate those above 18

With everyone above the age of 18 becoming eligible for the COVID19 vaccination May 1 onwards Maharashtra will have to vaccinate 55 crore more people The state currently has over 3 crore eligible for vaccines as per the allotted categories Mumbai will have 40 lakh more to be inoculated taking its total to 80 lakh peopleVaccine beneficiaries at Nair hospital on Monday PicAshish RajeThe projections are based on the estimated population of those aged above 18 Government officials said that as per census 2011 the 18plus population of Maharashtra is 6770 per cent ldquoIf this proportion is applied to the estimated population of 2021 our above 18 population will be about 85 crorerdquo said a senior officialExpensive programmeThe programme is expected to be very expensive considering the huge quantity of vaccines the state would need the price of the two madeinIndia vaccines and the cost of imports if vaccines from abroad are bought The third approved vaccine in India Sputnik Russianmade is currently made abroad It will be imported before manufacturing starts in India in a couple of months The first batch is expected before the next phase starts on May 1The state Cabinet mulled various aspects of the expanded vaccination programme on Tuesday According to Health Minister Rajesh Tope the state will not rely only on the two madeinIndia vaccines but will also import the approved ones ldquoMoney will not be a problem We will divert development funds for this purpose because the young who go to work must be vaccinated at all costrdquo Tope saidSources said the government will be under pressure to provide free of cost jabs to all eligible Charges at private hospitals are likely to be capped Currently the vaccines are being provided by the CentreFor those aged 45 and above private hospitals can charge a maximum of Rs 250 which includes Rs 150 for the shot and Rs 100 as a service charge Government facilities do it for freeWith the Centrersquos decentralised policy things will change from May 1 Indian companies are allowed to give 50 per cent of their stock to the states which would pay them There is no clarity on the mechanism to be followed by state governments for purchases within and outside IndiaNo orders so farMaharashtra government hadnrsquot placed purchase orders with any manufacturer Principal Secretary public health Dr Pradeep Vyas told midday on Wednesday evening On Wednesday the Serum Institute of India announced Covishieldrsquos price at Rs 400 per dose for governments and Rs 600 for private hospitals It said the vaccines will be made available in retail and free trade after four or five months The company advised all corporates and private individuals to access the vaccines through the state facilitated machinery and private health care system SII chief CEO Adar Poonawala said buying the American Rs 1500dose Russian Rs 750dose and Chinese Rs 750dose vaccines will be expensive for stakeholdersSources said the state government would like to negotiate the price with Punebased SII The Centre has been buying vaccines at a subsidised rate of around Rs 200 which was later reduced to Rs 150Covaxin producer Bharat Biotech hasnrsquot priced its vaccine for states and private entities yet but is expected to be competitive Mumbairsquos Haffkine Institute which has been licensed to produce Covaxin will need another eight to 10 months to start manufacturing Haffkinersquos vaccinesharing formula hasnrsquot been decided by the state and Centre yet80LNo of Mumbai people eligible from May 1Rs 600New cost of Covishield for pvt hospitals as announced by SII