Union Minister Prakash Javadekar on Wednesday informed that priority will be given to people over 60 and those over 45 with co-morbidities in the second phase of the COVID vaccination drive that will begin March 1. 

The shots will be given at 10,000 government-run centres (where it will be free of cost) and 20,000 private centres. Charges for vaccination at privately-run centres will be confirmed in a few days.

"From March 1, people above 60 years of age and those above 45 years of age with comorbidities will be vaccinated at 10,000 government and over 20,000 private vaccination centres. The vaccine will be given free of cost at government centres," Mr Javadekar said.

"Those who want to get vaccinated from private hospitals will have to pay. The amount they would need to pay will be decided by the Health Ministry within three-four days as they are in discussion with the manufacturers and hospitals," he added.

Around 27 crore people are expected to be covered in the second phase. Of this group around 10 crore are people over 60, the government said.

Last month sources said Prime Minister Narendra Modi would be vaccinated in the second phase, as will all Chief Ministers, MPs and MLAs above 50.

Dr Suneela Garg, an advisor to the ICMR, told NDTV yesterday that as the vaccination drive expands to include the larger population, there will be segregation based on several criteria, and that each sub-group will have separate timelines.

Dr Garg, who is also on the Lancet Commission`s Covid-19 India Taskforce, said those with comorbidities like "diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, stroke, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases" will be prioritised above people with other diseases.