The governments of Andhra Pradesh and Uttarakhand on Friday announced that they will provide Covid-19 vaccines for free for all adults between 18 and 45 years.

The other states that have announced free vaccinations for those over 18 are Tamil Nadu, Jharkhand, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Goa, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Sikkim, Assam.

Everyone above 18 years can get vaccinated from May 1 in the Union government’s third phase of inoculation. Only those over 45 and frontline workers were being vaccinated against the disease so far. All Indian adults can register to get their vaccine on the government’s Co-WIN portal or the Aarogya Setu app from April 28.

“The Andhra Pradesh government has given vaccination top priority from the beginning,” state Health Minister Alla Kali Krishna Srinivas (Nani) said, according to The News Minute. “To take it closer to the people, vaccinations will be given to those aged 18 to 45 for free. With this decision, across the state, more than 2 crore people between ages 18 to 45 will benefit. This is the most crucial step towards preventing Covid-19 in the state.”

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Tirath Singh Rawat made the state’s announcement on Twitter.

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Meanwhile, the Andhra Pradesh government also announced a night curfew between 10 pm and 5 am from Saturday to curb the spread of Covid-19.

So far, two vaccines – one developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca and the other developed by Bharat Biotech – are being used in India. Both the vaccines are being manufactured in the country by domestic firms. While the Oxford/Astrazeneca vaccine, locally known as Covishield, is being manufactured by the Serum Institute of India, the indigenously developed Covaxin is being manufactured by Bharat Biotech.

A third vaccine Sputnik V – developed in Russia and to be imported and sold in India by Dr Reddy’s Laboratories – has also been approved by the Indian drug regulator.

India on Friday registered another global high of 3,32,730 coronavirus cases, pushing the infection tally in the country to 1,62,63,695 since the pandemic broke out in January 2020. The country also registered its highest toll at 2,263. With this, the total number of fatalities climbed to 1,86,920.