Apollo, private chain of hospitals, would begin providing COVID-19 shots for people who are between the age of 18 and 44 from Saturday in limited centres, when vaccinations open for all above 18. Many states said that they would not launch vaccinations for adults on Saturday as planned due to a shortage in stocks.

The Apollo group in a statement said, “The vaccination programme will begin with limited quantities and will be ramped up in the weeks ahead. Apollo Hospitals will also be organising special camps for corporate”. It also said that the shots that would be used are going to be of Covishield.

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“Realizing the criticality of vaccinating citizens to mitigate the impact of the second wave of COVID infections, Apollo Hospitals has taken the initiative and made arrangements to procure vaccines directly from the manufacturers, as per the government directive”, said the statement, reported PTI.

In this latest phase of a nationwide supply of vaccine shots that began in January, it is possible for private companies and states to buy doses directly from the manufacturers. The manufacturers would sell 50% of their vaccine doses to state governments and private companies at higher rates while providing the rest to the Centre at existing rates.

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Several states complained of the varied pricing of vaccines and claimed that manufacturers told them that the stocks would arrive later. The companies told that they prioritise the Centre, which has continued vaccinating those above the age of 45 for now, which means that the younger beneficiaries will have to wait for a while.