Supreme Court Judges To Be Vaccinated From Tomorrow

Judges of the Supreme Court will get COVID-19 vaccine shots from tomorrow. Those eligible for the vaccine in the drive starting tomorrow also includes the families of the judges and retired judges.

The Supreme Court registry has arranged a vaccination facility at the court complex.

The judges and their families have an option of getting the jabs at the Supreme Court complex or any hospital listed by the government.

The cost of vaccination will be as per the centre's guidelines, the Supreme Court registry said. Private hospitals can charge up to Rs 250 per shot.

The Health Ministry said the judges will not have an option to choose which vaccine they want to take - Bharat Biotech's Covaxin, or Covishield, developed by Oxford-AstraZeneca and made by the Serum Institute of India.

Today marked the second push of India's massive vaccination drive. Those above 60 and those who are 45 and above with critical illnesses are getting inoculated now.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was also inoculated with the first dose of the home-grown Covaxin today.

India, which has reported the highest number of COVID-19 cases in the world after the United States, has so far vaccinated more than 12 million health and frontline workers.

"Remarkable how our doctors and scientists have worked in quick time to strengthen the global fight against COVID-19," PM Modi tweeted, posting a picture of him getting the shot at a government hospital in Delhi. "I appeal to all those who are eligible to take the vaccine. Together, let us make India COVID-19 free."

The government said last week it would let people choose their vaccination centres.

The vaccination drive is being run using the CoWIN app, which enables people to register, choose location and get a certificate after vaccination.

The Health Ministry today said the CoWIN app is meant for use only by administrators, and that registration and booking for appointment for COVID-19 vaccination has to be done through the portal.