Covid vaccination: Stop fresh registration of healthcare workers, Centre tells states

India had started COVID-19 vaccination drive was rolled out on January 16 with two vaccines - Covishield (Oxford-AstraZeneca's vaccine manufactured by Serum Institute of India) and Covaxin (manufactured by Bharat Biotech Limited).

The ministry said the numbers included 89,03,809 healthcare workers (HCWs) and 95,15,410 frontline workers, who have taken the first dose.

Now health workers and people above 55 are the main target groups for vaccination.

The Centre on Saturday directed the states and UTs that no fresh registrations of healthcare and frontline workers will be allowed since some ineligible beneficiaries were getting their names enlisted for vaccination against COVID-19, under this category, in violation of rules.

12,40,764 beneficiaries were vaccinated for 1st dose and 35,427 beneficiaries received 2nd dose of the vaccine.

"There has been 24% increase in HCW database in the past few days".

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Rajesh Bhushan said that universal vaccination of already registered HCWs and FLWs should be ensured.

The US top infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci on Saturday (local time) warned that the United States may be on the cusp of another COVID-19 surge if Americans aren't careful. The country on Thursday began its third phase of the coronavirus vaccination drive, under which all people above 45 years will be covered.

He added that as at April 3, around 1.05 million individuals have received at least one dose of the vaccine, of whom more than 468,000 individuals have received their second dose and completed the full vaccination regimen.

A total of 11,83,917 people aged 45 and above were given the first dose on April 2.

Meanwhile, India reported 81,466 new COVID-19 cases and 469 coronavirus related deaths in the last 24 hours, informed the union health ministry on Friday.

The death toll rose to 1,64,623 with 513 fresh fatalities.