INTRODUCTION
India launched its Covid-19 vaccination drive at the start of
this year, after the Drugs Controller General of India (DGCI)
approved 'Covishield' (by
Oxford-AstraZeneca) and 'Covaxin' by
(Bharath Biotech) for 'restricted use in an emergency
situation.' On January 16, 2021, India rolled out its mammoth
campaign of vaccinating 940 million people by the end of 2021 in a
phased manner. Initially, the entire vaccination drive was anchored
by the Central Government, and as part of the first phase,
healthcare and frontline workers were inoculated followed by other
vulnerable groups - individuals above the age of 45 and those below
44 with co-morbidities. The next phase commenced on May 1, 2021
(close on the heels of the horrific second wave), wherein the
vaccines were made available to individuals between 18 and 44 years
of age, and the State Governments and the private sector began
playing a more significant role in the procurement and
administration of
