New Delhi: The Union Health Ministry on Friday announced that precautionary doses of COVID-19 vaccines will be made available to people in the age group of 18+ at private immunization centers from April 10.
“Administration of the precautionary dose to the 18+ population through private immunization centers will begin from April 10 (Sunday), 2022. All those who are above 18 years of age and have completed 9 months after the administration of the second dose , will be eligible for the precautionary dosage,” reads the ministry statement.
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Those who are over 18 years of age and have completed 9 months after taking the second dose are eligible for a precautionary dose.
According to health ministry data, around 96 per cent of all 15+ age groups in the country have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, while about 83 per cent of this population has received both doses.
More than 2.4 crore precautionary doses have also been given to healthcare workers, frontline workers and 60+ population groups.
Meanwhile, 45 per cent of the people in the age group of 12-14 years have received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccination.
The ministry noted, “The ongoing free immunization program through government immunization centers for first and second doses for eligible populations as well as precautionary doses for healthcare workers, frontline workers and 60+ population will continue and be expedited.” Will go.”
The National Immunization Campaign was launched on January 16 last year, in which health workers were vaccinated in the first phase. The vaccination of frontline workers began on February 2, 2021.
The next phase of COVID-19 vaccination began on March 1, 2021 for people above 60 years of age and 45 years and above with specified co-morbid conditions.
India started vaccination for all people above 45 years of age from 1st April last year. The government then decided to expand its immunization campaign by allowing everyone over the age of 18 to be vaccinated against the viral disease from May 1 last year.
The next phase of vaccination began on January 3 for adolescents in the age group of 15-18 years.
India began giving preventive doses of vaccines to health care and frontline workers and people aged 60 years and above from January 10.
The country started immunization of children aged 12-14 years from March 16.
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