Free Covid precaution doses for 18-59 age group from July 15 at authorities centres: officers

By PTI

NEW DELHI: People within the 18-59 age group will get free precaution doses of the Covid vaccine at authorities vaccination centres below a 75-day particular drive prone to start from July 15, official sources mentioned on Wednesday.

The drive, aimed toward boosting the uptake of Covid precaution doses, will probably be held as a part of the federal government’s Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav to have fun the seventy fifth anniversary of India’s Independence, they mentioned.

So far, lower than 1 per cent of the goal inhabitants of 77 crore within the 18-59 age group have been administered the precaution dose.

However, round 26 per cent of the estimated 16 crore eligible inhabitants aged 60 and above in addition to healthcare and frontline employees have obtained the booster dose, an official supply mentioned.

“A majority of the Indian population got their second dose over nine months ago. Studies at ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research) and other international research institutions have suggested that antibody levels wane around six months after the primary vaccination with both doses giving a booster increases the immune response,” the official mentioned.

“The government is therefore planning to start a special drive for 75 days during which individuals aged between 18 and 59 years will be administered precaution doses for free at government vaccination centres starting from July 15,” he mentioned.

The Union Health Ministry final week decreased the hole between the second and precaution dose of COVID-19 vaccine for all beneficiaries from 9 to 6 months.

This adopted a advice from the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (NTAGI).

To speed up the tempo of vaccination and encourage booster photographs, the federal government initiated the second spherical of the ‘Har Ghar Dastak marketing campaign 2.0’ throughout states and UTs on June 1. The two-month programme is at present underway.

According to authorities knowledge, 96 per cent of India’s inhabitants has been administered the primary dose of Covid vaccine whereas 87 per cent of the individuals have taken each doses.

On April 10 this 12 months, India started administering precaution doses of COVID-19 vaccines to all aged above 18 years.

The countrywide vaccination drive had rolled out on January 16 final 12 months with healthcare employees getting inoculated within the first section. Vaccination of frontline employees began from February 2 final 12 months.

On March 1 final 12 months, COVID-19 vaccination started for individuals over 60 years of age and people aged 45 and above with specified comorbid situations.

Vaccination for all individuals aged greater than 45 years started on April 1 final 12 months. The authorities then determined to develop the ambit of the vaccination drive by permitting everybody above 18 years to be inoculated towards Covid from May 1 final 12 months.

Inoculation of these within the age group of 15-18 commenced on January 3 this 12 months. The nation started inoculating youngsters aged 12-14 from March 16.