Coronavirus: COVID vaccination for 18+ to open up, all you need to know about the vaccines available in India

In a groundbreaking development, the Indian government announced the availability of COVID-19 vaccines for anyone over the age of 18 in the country, starting May 01.

The news, which follows a devastating second wave that seems to add caseloads every passing day will now allow citizens aged over the age of 18 to get vaccinated at a time when they are considered to be the most at-risk of infection and severity from the second wave of infection.

The upcoming phase of the vaccination drive, which kickstarted in the country on January 16, is now being hailed as a major step in controlling the spread of the second wave of infections in the country. It will also allow a good amount of coverage to vulnerable groups, much like other countries.

There are also a lot of sizeable changes in the new policy, which will allow healthcare workers and beneficiaries to take advantage of more options.

Here are a few key points to remember, if you do wish to get jabbed next months:

The third phase of vaccination which will cover younger age groups will be more liberalized and accelerated than before, as per officials.

While there have been increasing reports of vaccine shortage and wastage, the new policies set in place will allow private healthcare players to buy vaccines in the open market, allowing for a greater pace of vaccination to commence. States will also be separately allowed to procure more doses from manufacturers directly, which may be especially helpful to states which have been amongst the worst-affected ones by the second wave of coronavirus.

Younger populations, particularly those below the age of 50 are more susceptible to complications and hospitalization risk associated with COVID-19 right now. The faster we achieve community-level immunity , the closer we would be to crushing the spread of the virus. Hence, all those eligible for vaccination should get the jab when possible.

While policies pertaining to vaccination have been freed up, the procedure to sign up to get the experimental COVID-19 shots to remain the same.

A person eligible to get vaccinated should possess a valid identity card, sign up on the registered website and schedule an appointment accordingly.

All vaccination (through government and other channels) would be part of the National Vaccination Programme.

Scheduled appointments (for both the first and the second shot) shall be cancelled if the beneficiary doesn't turn up for the first appointment.

Currently, the two vaccines available to citizens in India include Covishield (or the Oxford-Astrazeneca vaccine model), produced and marketed by Serum Institute of India (SII) and India's homegrown vaccine, Covaxin, which has been developed by Hyderabad based Bharat Biotech Limited. The two vaccines were approved for use in December and have been used ever since the drives started.

Another vaccine, Russia's Sputnik V was recently given neccessary nods for approval, carrying over 91% efficacy rates. Sputnik V, which will be marketed by Dr Reddy's Laboratories in India is currently in mid-scale testing but has been found to be effective based on interim results collated from India and Russia. It is also being used in over 61 other countries. Imports of the vaccine are stipulated to start in May.

There are also reports of more foreign vaccines, including Pfizer, Moderna's mRNA and the single-dose Johnson and Johnson vaccine being allowed for use in India in the coming months.

Expecting some side effects post-vaccination is normal. The usual side-effects people report right now are mild, reactogenic ones, including pain at the injection site, fever, rashes, fatigue, body pain, headache and malaise.

Adverse reactions, including the rare complications of blood clotting which has been associated with the Oxford-Astrazeneca and Johnson and Johnson vaccine, has so far not been observed in India.

All vaccines approved for use are safe for use and carry good tolerability and effectiveness. Therefore, every individual eligible for inoculation should sign up to get their jabs as and when they can.

Remember, not only do vaccines cut down severity and mortality risk with COVID, getting temporary side-effects from the vaccine is better than contracting COVID right now.