Free Covid Booster Dose for 18-59 age group
On July 13, 2022, Union Minister Anurag Thakur announced a 75-day special programme offering free Covid-19 Covid Booster Dose for the 18-to-59 age group at government vaccination centres. The drive would begin on July 15.
The drive is part of the government’s Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav to commemorate India’s 75th anniversary of independence. The goal of the move is to expedite the vaccination campaign.
“India has been independent for 75 years. It has been agreed that citizens over the age of 18 will receive booster dosages free of charge from July 15, 2022, for the next 75 days in honour of Azadi ka Amrit Kaal “said Thakur.
So far, less than 1% of the target population of 77 crore people aged 18-59 have received the precaution dose. According to PTI sources, approximately 26% of the estimated 16 crores eligible population aged 60 and above, as well as healthcare and frontline workers, have received the booster dose.
The Union Health Ministry last week reduced the time between the second and precautionary doses of the Covid-19 vaccine for all beneficiaries from nine to six months. This was in response to a recommendation from the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (NTAGI).
On June 1, the government launched the second round of the ‘Har Ghar Dastak campaign 2.0’ across states and UTs to accelerate vaccination and encourage booster shots. The two-month programme is currently in progress.
According to government data, 96% of India’s population has received the first dose of the Covid vaccine, with 87% having received both doses.
On April 10, this year, India began administering Covid-19 vaccine precaution doses to all adults over the age of 18.
The nationwide vaccination drive began on January 16, 2017, with healthcare workers being the first to be immunised. Vaccination of front-line workers began on February 2 of last year.
Covid-19 vaccination began on March 1 of last year for people over the age of 60, as well as those aged 45 and up with certain comorbid conditions.
Vaccination for all people over the age of 45 began on April 1 of last year. The government then decided to broaden the scope of the vaccination campaign, allowing anyone over the age of 18 to be immunised against Covid beginning on May 1, last year.
Inoculation of those aged 15 to 18 began on January 3 of this year.
The country began immunising children aged 12 to 14 on March 16.
