Free Covid boosters for all adults for 75 days from July 15

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, July 13, 2022: All adults will be administered Covid booster shots for free at all government centres for 75 days starting Friday, Union Minister Anurag Thakur announced today. The drive, aimed at boosting the uptake of the precautionary doses, is a part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations - the government’s campaign to mark the India’s 75 years of Independence, news agency PTI reported, quoting government officials.

 

The decision comes at a time when the country has been registering a spike in Covid-19 cases - over 15,000 daily.

Less than one per cent of the population in the 18-59 age group has been administered the precautionary dose and around 26 per cent of the estimated 16 crore eligible population aged 60 and above, healthcare and frontline workers have received the boosters, an official source said.

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

Last week, the health ministry reduced the gap between the second and booster dose of Covid-19 vaccine from the earlier nine months to six months following a recommendation by the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (NTAGI).

The government also initiated the second round of the Har Ghar Dastak campaign 2.0 on June 1 to accelerate the pace of vaccination and encourage boosters. The two-month programme is currently underway.

96 per cent of India’s population has been administered the first dose of Covid vaccine while 87 per cent of the people have taken both doses, official data showed.

India began administering the booster shots to all adults on April 10.

The countrywide vaccination drive - the world’s largest - had rolled out on January 16, 2021 with healthcare workers getting the first shots. Frontline workers began getting their jabs from February 2, 2021.

From March 1, vaccinations began for people above 60 and 45 and above with specified comorbidities.

The Centre began vaccinations for all above 45 on April 1, 2021 and expanded the drive to allow all above 18 years to be inoculated from May 1.

For children in the 15-18 age groups, vaccinations began on January 3 this year and for those between 12 and 14 years started March 16.

Courtesy: India Today