The second phase of India’s COVID-19 vaccination drive started on Monday, as people above 60 years and those above 45 with comorbidities will get inoculated against coronavirus across the nation. Prime Minister Narendra Modi received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at AIIMS, Delhi. 

The registration opened at 9 am on Monday at www.cowin.gov.in, the Co-WIN 2.0 portal for beneficiaries eligible for the vaccination. They will have to register themselves to get themselves immunised against the COVID-19 disease. 

What are comorbidities that make people above 45 eligible to get vaccinated? 

– A person suffering from a serious cardiovascular ailment. In this case, anyone who has suffered from heart failure, or was admitted to a hospital in the last one year or those suffering from significant left ventricular systolic dysfunction are eligible to get vaccinated. Also, those who have congenital heart diseases with severe pulmonary artery hypertension (PAH) or Idiopathic PAH or anyone suffering from moderate or severe valvular heart diseases or anyone who have undergone a post-cardiac transplant or has a left ventricular assist device qualify to get the vaccine.

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– A person suffering from diabetes, hypertension, cancer, or AIDS is eligible to get vaccinated in the second immunisation drive. This includes anyone suffering from hypertension or diabetes along with pulmonary artery hypertension, angina, or coronary artery diseases with past history of coronary artery bypass grafting/ percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty/ myocardial infarction. Anyone who has suffered a stroke that was detected by CT or MRI scan is also included in the list. A person who has been diabetic for more than 10 years or he/she/they have complications due to diabetes or are suffering any problem of hypertension can also get vaccinated against coronavirus infection.

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– The list also includes people suffering from end-stage kidney disorders, or those on haemodialysis/ Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis. Patients with decompensated cirrhosis are also eligible to get vaccinated. Anyone who underwent kidney, liver or hematopoietic stem cell transplant, or are on the waiting list for any of these transplants can get the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. 

– Anyone who has been using oral corticosteroids or immunosuppressant medications for long can also get vaccinated

– People suffering from several respiratory disorders and have been hospitalised in the last couple of years or anyone with HIV infection or primary immunodeficiency diseases can get the COVID-19 vaccine. The list also includes people suffering from  sickle cell diseases, bone marrow failure, aplastic anaemia, and thalassemia major

– Anyone who had any solid cancer, detected after July 1 last year or is in cancer therapy is also eligible to get vaccinated. 

– People with disabilities are also eligible to get the COVID-19 vaccine. This includes people with intellectual abilities, those with disabilities who have high support needs as well as people with multiple other disabilities like blindness and deafness are also eligible for the vaccine

– In addition to these, acid attack victims and anyone suffering from muscular dystrophy are also eligible to get the vaccine