COVID-19 vaccination for general public may take 6 months to a year, say Maharashtra officials

It could take six-seven months to a year for the first three phases of the COVID-19 vaccination exercise to conclude, senior Maharashtra health department officials told The Times of India. This would mean that the vaccine will be available for the general public only after six-seven months or a year after the nationwide inoculation exercise begins.

The news report cites senior officials as saying that the supply of vaccine doses will be crucial for the timely completion of the early phases meant for healthcare and frontline workers, and other high-risk groups. However, officials are expecting more COVID-19 vaccine candidates to get emergency use authorisation in the coming months. This is likely to help boost the supply of doses.

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Collation of data of frontline workers, including police personnel and staff of departments involved in COVID-19 management, will be crucial in the completion of phase-2 of the vaccination exercise, the report suggests.