NEW DELHI: The Centre will provide free booster doses of Covid vaccines for the 18-59 age group at government vaccination centres under a 75-day special drive from July 15, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya announced on July 13.
The free booster dose drive will be held for the next 75 days as part of the government's Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav to celebrate the 75th anniversary of India's Independence and to boost the uptake of Covid precaution doses, he said.
The drive will end on September 30.
"Under the Amrit Mahotsav of Azadi, a 75-day free vaccination campaign will be conducted from July 15, in which all citizens above the age of 18 years will be given free vaccination doses at government centres", Mandaviya said in a tweet.
Urging eligible population to get the precaution doses, he said in a subsequent tweet: "With this decision, India's fight against Covid will be strengthened and additional security of citizens will also be ensured. I urge that all adult citizens must get the prevention dose."
In a virtual meeting with states, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan on July 14 had said that the precaution dose uptake among population groups over 18 years is a mere 8 per cent. In contrast, those above 60 per cent stand at 27 per cent.
Less than 1 per cent of the target population of 77 crore in the 18-59 age group have been administered the precaution dose, as per a source. The initiative has been undertaken to increase the uptake of the precautions doses.
However, around 26 per cent of the estimated 16 crore eligible population aged 60 and above as well as healthcare and frontline workers have received the booster dose.
In a statement, the ministry said that the states were asked to launch an intensive and ambitious push toward full Covid-19 vaccination coverage by vaccinating all eligible beneficiaries who have completed six months from the date of administration of the second dose and covering them with precaution dose.
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Launch special vaccine drives along yatra routes and office complexes: Centre to states
Rajesh Bhushan asked states to organise special vaccination camps on the routes of yatras, at melas, and at congregations, at office complexes --- both private and public --- industrial establishments, railway stations, inter-state bus stations, schools and colleges, to increase the uptake of the precaution or booster doses.
The states were also advised to organise special vaccination camps on the routes of Char Dham Yatra (Uttarakhand), Amarnath Yatra (Jammu and Kashmir), and Kanwar Yatra (all states and union territories).
Highlighting that less uptake of the booster doses is a matter of concern, he said that the states should launch a massive mass mobilisation through a camp approach.
In all such special vaccination camps, vaccination is to be done mandatorily through Cowin, and a vaccination certificate is to be provided.
States were also advised to ensure that the available Covid vaccine doses are consumed promptly and that no dose expires in government and private facilities.
To accelerate the pace of vaccination and encourage booster shots, the government also initiated the second round of the 'Har Ghar Dastak campaign 2.0' across states and UTs on June 1. The two-month programme is currently underway.
According to government data, 96 per cent of India's population has been administered the first dose of Covid vaccine, while 87 per cent of people have taken both doses.
On April 10 this year, India began administering precaution doses of COVID-19 vaccines to all aged above 18 years.
The countrywide vaccination drive was rolled out on January 16 last year with health care workers getting inoculated in the first phase.
Vaccination of frontline workers started from February 2 last year.
On March 1 last year, COVID-19 vaccination began for people over 60 years of age and those aged 45 and above with specified comorbid conditions.
Vaccination for all people aged above 45 years began on April 1 last year.
The government then decided to expand the ambit of the vaccination drive by allowing everyone above 18 years to be inoculated against Covid from May 1 last year.
Inoculation of those in the age group of 15-18 started on January 3 this year.
The country began inoculating children aged 12-14 on March 16.
(Register for precaution dose at cowin.gov.in or in the Aarogya Setu app, go to the Cowin tab, and tap on the vaccination tab.)
(With inputs from Express News Service, PTI, and ANI)