Highlight
- The government has announced that it will provide free covid booster doses
- Free booster shots will be available for people aged 18-59
- The announcement came when India is celebrating 75 years of independence
COVID Booster Dose: The Modi government on Wednesday announced that people in the age group of 18-59 years would be given free Covid booster shots from July 15. The free booster dose will be available for 75 days as the country celebrates 75 years of independence as the Amrit Mahotsav of Independence.
People in the age group of 18-59 will get a free precautionary dose of COVID vaccine at government immunization centers as part of a 75-day special drive starting July 15.
He said that this campaign will be carried out with the aim of promoting the precautionary dose of Kovid as part of the government’s Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav to celebrate the 75th anniversary of India’s independence.
Speaking on the Modi government’s decision to provide free COVID booster shots, Union Minister Anurag Thakur said, “India is celebrating 75 years of independence. On the occasion of Amrit Kaal of Independence, it has been decided that from 15th July 2022. Citizens above 18 years of age will be given a booster dose free of charge for the next 75 days.
So far, less than 1 per cent of the target population of 77 crore in the age group of 18-59 have been given preventive doses.
However, about 26 per cent of the estimated 160 million eligible population aged 60 years and above as well as healthcare and frontline workers have received a booster dose, an official source said.
“Most of the Indian population received its second dose nine months ago. Studies by ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research) and other international research institutions have suggested that antibody levels decrease approximately six months after the primary vaccination with both doses … Giving boosters boosts the immune response,” the official said.
“Therefore the government is planning to launch a special campaign for 75 days during which persons in the age group of 18 to 59 years will be given free precautionary doses at government immunization centers starting from July 15,” he said.
The Union Health Ministry last week reduced the gap between the second and precautionary dose of the COVID-19 vaccine from nine to six months for all beneficiaries.
This follows a recommendation of the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (NTAGI).
To accelerate the pace of vaccination and encourage booster shots, the government on 1 June launched the second round of ‘Har Ghar Dastak Abhiyan 2.0’ in states and union territories. The two-month program is currently going on.
According to government data, 96 percent of India’s population has been given the first dose of the Kovid vaccine, while 87 percent people have taken both doses.
On 10 April this year, India began giving a precautionary dose of COVID-19 vaccines to all people above the age of 18 years.
The nationwide immunization drive started on January 16 last year, in which health workers were vaccinated in the first phase.
The vaccination of frontline workers started from February 2 last year.
On March 1 last year, COVID-19 vaccination began for people aged 60 and over and for people aged 45 and above with specified comorbid conditions. Vaccination for all people over the age of 45 began on April 1 last year.
The government then decided to expand the scope of the vaccination campaign, allowing everyone above the age of 18 to be vaccinated against Covid from May 1 last year.
The vaccination of people in the age group of 15-18 started from January 3 this year. The country started immunization of children aged 12-14 years from March 16.
,With inputs from PTI,
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