Meghalaya to vaccinate all above 18 years for Covid-19 for free

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Wednesday announced free Covid-19 vaccination for everyone above the age of 18.

The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by the chief minister on Tuesday, officials said.

Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong said that the state government has already paid a vaccine-maker Rs 1.26 crore for around 42,000 doses. "The government purchased the vaccines at a cost of Rs 300 per dose and the vaccination is for citizens of the age group 18 to 45," he said.

Also read — As Covid-19 rages, rural India gasps for breath

The vaccines will be arriving in the state within the next few days and 20,000 people in the age group 18-45 will be getting it in the first phase, he added.

He assured that the state has enough stock of vaccines for frontline workers and citizens above the age of 45.

Till Tuesday, 25,595 healthcare workers received the first dose of the Covishield vaccine and of them, 18,596 received the second dose.

Another 46,441 frontline workers also got the first shot of the vaccine, while 24,885 of them got the second dose.

Around 1.74 lakh people over the age of 45 have been vaccinated with the first dose so far, and 18,764 of them were inoculated with the second dose.