New Delhi, Apr 10 (IANS): Administration of Covid precaution dose for all adults at private hospitals across the country got underway on Sunday.

"Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the government is taking various steps to defeat Covid. Taking one more step, administration of Covid precaution dose has started," Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya posted on twitter in Hindi.

Those above the age of 18 years and who have completed nine months of their second dose of vaccine are eligible for the third dose.

A day before the commencement of precaution dose for all, India's two major vaccine manufacturers - Serum Institute of India and Bharat Biotech announced major slashed vaccine prices for private hospitals. India's two major Covid vaccines of national vaccination programme - Covishield and Covaxin- have been made available for Rs 225 per dose at private hospitals.

The private Covid Vaccination Centres can charge only up to a maximum of INR 150 as service charge for precaution dose over and above the cost of vaccine.

Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said in guidelines to states on Saturday that the private centres should declare the price per dose that they would charge on Co-WIN, in accordance to the prices declared by the manufacturers.

The Co-WIN system would send SMS alerts to all citizens who would be eligible for their third shots based on the earlier vaccination details in their digital records.

As per the guidelines, the booster shots will be given at private hospitals against payment, while the priority groups of healthcare workers, frontline workers, and individuals above the age of 60 will get their third dose for free at the government vaccination centres.