Amid low precaution doses, 'Covid Vaccination Amrit Mahotsava' to begin

A 75-day-long 'Covid Vaccination Amrit Mahotsava' will commence from Friday to provide free precaution dose to all eligible adults at government Covid Vaccination Centres (CVCs).

This special Covid vaccination drive is a part of the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations, and is aimed to increase uptake for the precaution dose.

In a virtual meet with State and UT Health Secretaries and NHM MDs held on Thursday, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan urged states to give an intensive and ambitious push towards full Covud vaccination coverage by vaccinating all eligible beneficiaries and covering them with precaution dose.

Expressing concern over less percentage of precaution doses uptake among population groups aged 18 years and above which is only 8 per cent and persons aged 60 years and above at only 27 per cent, he asked states to implement the event as a public drive with massive mass mobilisation, through a camp approach.

They were advised to organise special vaccination camps in the routes of Char Dham Yatra, Amarnath Yatra, Kanwar Yatra (all states/UTs of north India) as well as major Melas and congregations.

Union Health Secretary advised to operationalise special workplace vaccination camps at big office complexes (public & private), industrial establishments, railway stations, inter-state bus stations, in schools and colleges, etc. In all such special vaccination camps, vaccination to be done mandatorily through CoWIN and vaccination certificate to be provided, he said.

States were advised to ensure that the available Covid vaccine doses are consumed in a timely manner and no dose expires in both government and private facilities. The Centre has also said to assess the requirement for the 75-day special drive as per the eligible population groups and inform to the Centre to provide adequate doses.

The special drive will continue for 75 days from July 15 to September 30. Those eligible for the precaution dose include all persons of above 18 years who have completed 6 months (or 26 weeks) from the date of administration of the second dose.