India will make Covid-19 booster shots available to all adults for a fee from Sunday, officials said, as the number of new virus cases in the country drops sharply.
The nation of 1.3 billion has administered 1.85 billion shots so far, giving 96 percent of the population a single dose and 83 per cent two jabs.
"It has been decided that a precautionary dose of the Covid vaccine will be made available to the 18+ population at private vaccination centres," the health ministry said in a statement Friday.
The ministry said that those who had taken their second dose nine months previously would be eligible for the shot, which they will have to pay for at private facilities.
The government in January launched a state-funded booster programme for health workers and people older than 60, which has since administered 24 million shots.
India launched its inoculation campaign in January last year, banking on homemade vaccines Covishield and Covaxin.
The country has recorded a steep dip in the number of coronavirus cases in recent weeks, with the health ministry reporting around 1,100 cases on Friday.
India remains the world's third-worst affected nation by the virus after the United States and Brazil.
More than 521,000 people have died and over 40 million have been infected across the country since the pandemic began in January 2020, according to official figures.
At least 4,000 people were dying every day at the height of the pandemic in India between March and May last year, according to official figures, which are widely thought to be an underestimate.
Clifford had previously pleaded guilty to the murders of BBC sports commentator John Hunt’s wife and two daughters at their home in northwest of London, in July 2024. (Photo: Hertfordshire Police /Handout via REUTERS)
Crossbow murderer found guilty of raping ex-girlfriend
A 26-YEAR-OLD man who murdered three women in a crossbow and stabbing attack has been found guilty of raping one of them, his ex-girlfriend, a British court ruled on Thursday.
Kyle Clifford had previously pleaded guilty to the murders of BBC sports commentator John Hunt’s wife and two daughters at their home in Bushey, northwest of London, in July 2024.
The attack led to a manhunt before Clifford was found injured hours later in a north London cemetery.
A jury at Cambridge Crown Court on Thursday convicted Clifford of raping 25-year-old Louise Hunt before killing her.
His sentencing for all the crimes is scheduled for Tuesday.
Clifford had admitted to murdering Carol Hunt, 61, and her daughters Louise and Hannah, 28. He had also pleaded guilty to charges of false imprisonment and possessing offensive weapons but denied raping Louise.
During the trial, the court heard that after killing Carol Hunt, Clifford waited for an hour before attacking Louise, tying her up, raping her, and then killing her with a crossbow. He later killed Hannah when she returned home from work.
The prosecution described Clifford, a former soldier, as committing a "violent, sexual act of spite" and said he was "enraged" after Louise ended their 18-month relationship. They told the court that he had "carefully planned" the attack.
Less than 24 hours before the killings, Clifford had searched for a podcast by social media influencer Andrew Tate, according to the prosecution. They argued that the murders were driven by the "violent misogyny promoted" by Tate.
Justice Joel Bennathan called Clifford’s crimes "dreadful" and "almost unspeakable".
(With inputs from AFP)