In a late-night address to the nation on Christmas Day Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared that citizens above 60 years of age with co-morbidities will be given the option of precaution dose of the vaccine on the advice of their doctor from 10 January.
Speaking to News18, Dr RS Sharma, the chief executive officer at National Health Authority said that senior citizens will require a medical certificate to be administered the precautionary dose.
He reportedly added that the dose will be given only on the basis of twenty listed comorbidities, which include cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, stem cell transplant, kidney disease, cirrhosis, cancer, sickle cell disease, and ongoing use of steroids or immunosuppressant drugs.
As per the report, the medical certificate will need to be signed by any registered medical practitioner and either uploaded on Co-WIN 2.0 or printed and carried to the vaccination centres.
On Saturday, 25 December, Modi had announced that children aged 15-18 will avail the COVID-19 vaccine beginning 3 January.
Further, he announced that healthcare and frontline workers would be able to avail the booster dose of the vaccine from 10 January.
(With inputs from News18.)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)