COVID-19 Booster Doses for 18+ Age Group available from 10 April.

Booster Doses for 18+ Age Group from 10 April.

COVID-19 vaccine will be available to all aged 18 and above from 10 April, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare announced on Friday, 8 April.

The Serum Institute of India indicated that the Covishield booster dose will cost Rs. 600 for end users, while hospitals will acquire it at a discounted price.

Third doses will continue to be free for the elderly and those in health care or frontline jobs at government centers and the rules that apply to them will also apply to the ones who become eligible on April 10.

Adar Poonawalla, the chief executive of Serum Institute of India, which manufactures the Covishield vaccine, announced that the booster dose will cost ₹600 (plus taxes) for those who get the shot at private centers.

According to government data, so far about 96% of all 15+ population in the country has received at least one Covid-19 vaccine dose while about 83% of 15+ population has received both the doses. At least 24 million precaution doses have been administered to the group that became eligible on January 10 .

Most of the COVID curbs have now been lifted. Experts had called for giving booster doses to all adults as it would significantly enhance the antibodies to fight COVID.