From April 1, all people above 45 years of age are entitled to get COVID-19 vaccine, Union minister Prakash Javadekar said on Tuesday.
Briefing reporters on the decisions taken by the Union Cabinet, he said even people without comorbidity and above the age of 45 years, can get vaccinated.
"I appeal to every citizen who is 45 or above to register for vaccination," Prakash said, announcing the expansion of the drive that started in January.
According to the minister, 4.85 crore people have received at least one dose of the Covid vaccine and 80 lakh have received the second dose.
Javadekar was asked on Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh's appeal to the centre to widen the scope of vaccinations to younger people, given the spike in cases of the UK variant in his state.
The Union Minister said he was "not a health expert and did not know the nuances of the UK variant".
The countrywide vaccination drive was rolled out on January 16 with healthcare workers getting inoculated and vaccination of the frontline workers started from February 2.
The next phase of COVID-19 vaccination commenced on March 1 for those who are over 60 years of age and for people aged 45 and above with specific comorbid conditions.