Manohar Agnani, Additional Secretary at the Union Health Ministry said, “A new feature of ‘Allot beneficiary’ in ‘Ongoing session’ is being added. This will allow maximum possible number of beneficiaries per session and to have better coverage.”

Ten cases of adverse events following immunization (AEFI) — four in Delhi, two in Karnataka, and one each in Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and West Bengal — have required hospitalisation so far, additional secretary in the Health Ministry Manohar Agnani said.

”There has been no case of serious/severe adverse event attributable to COVID-19 vaccination till date,” Agnani said.

Vinod K. Paul, who heads a government committee on vaccine strategy, told a news conference health workers who failed to take vaccine doses set aside for them were not fulfilling their “societal responsibility”.

“Please understand the whole world is clamouring for vaccines,” said Paul.
Some doctors have expressed doubt about the Bharat Biotech vaccine, which was given approval for emergency use without efficacy data from late-stage clinical trials. The government says it is safe and effective. Paul said he received his own shot of the it on the first day.

The CAPFs, with an estimated manpower of about 10 lakh personnel, are deployed for rendering a variety of internal security duties across the country, border guarding and VIP protection.

The scheme provides a cover of up to Rs 5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation to over 10.74 crore poor and vulnerable families (about 53 crore beneficiaries). AB PM-JAY also provides cashless and paperless access to services for the beneficiaries at the point of service.