ABVP welcomes decision to open vaccines for 18+ citizens

New Delhi, April 20: The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) on Tuesday welcomed PM Modi led government's decision to make citizens of 18 years and above eligible for COVID-19 vaccine from May 1. "This shall indeed be decisive in slowing the spread of COVID-19 and comes as a huge boost in India's fight against the virus", the ABVP said in a tweet.

The Centre has 'liberalised' the vaccination drive to allow states, private hospitals and industrial establishments to procure the doses directly from manufacturers. With this everyone above 18 years of age will be eligible to get vaccinated against COVID-19 from May 1 as revealed by the central government on Monday.

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National General Secretary Nidhi Tripathi said, "The decision of central government allowing 18 years and above to get vaccinated is momentous and of utmost importance. The new eligible age group also involves students pursuing higher studies. Looking back at last year's shift to an unorganised and unfeasible online education system, this expansion may put an end to the current hardships faced by students and bring things back on track”. “It shall also help reduce the spread of the virus in the young population that seems prone to the new variant in the ongoing second wave. ABVP appeals to the youth of the country to come forward and get themselves inoculated at the earliest", she added.

Under the third phase of the vaccination drive commencing next month, the vaccine manufacturers would supply 50 per cent of their monthly Central Drugs Laboratory (CDL) released doses to the central government and would be free to supply the remaining 50 per cent doses to state governments and in the open market.

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Vaccination will continue as before in the government vaccination centres free of cost to the eligible population- healthcare and frontline workers and all people above 45 years of age. This policy would come into effect from 1st May 2021 and will be reviewed from time to time.