Free Covid booster dose for all adults from July 15
New Delhi [India], July 15: With an aim to increase the uptake of the precautionary dose of Covid vaccine among the eligible adult population, 75 days - 'Covid Vaccination Amrit Mahotsava' will commence on Friday as informed the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
The special vaccination drive of providing free booster doses is a part of the celebration for Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav and aims to provide free precaution dose for all adults (18 years and above) eligible population at Government Covid Vaccination Centres (CVCs).
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While addressing the media, Dr Bijay Panigrahi, Director, Family Welfare and Nodal Officer Vaccination, "It will start from today and continue for the next 75 days. We will try to vaccinate all the citizens between 18-59 years of age."
In a virtual meeting with State/UT Health Secretaries and NHM MDs chaired by Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan on Thursday, States and UTs have been urged to give an intensive and ambitious push toward full Covid-19 vaccination coverage by vaccinating all eligible beneficiaries and covering them with precaution dose.
States/UTs were directed to implement 'Covid Vaccination Amrit Mahotsava' for 75 days as 'Jan Abhiyaan' with massive mass mobilization, through a camp approach.
They were advised to organize special vaccination camps on the routes of Char Dham Yatra (Uttarakhand), Amarnath Yatra (Jammu &Kashmir), Kanwar Yatra (all States/UTs of North India) as well as major Melas and congregations.
The Union Health Secretary highlighted that less percentage of precaution doses uptake among population groups aged 18 years and above (8 per cent) and persons aged 60 years and above (27 per cent) is a cause of concern.
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Those eligible for the precaution dose include all persons above 18 years who have completed 6 months (or 26 weeks) from the date of administration of the 2nd dose.
-PTC News
