New Delhi : The government has decided to provide free booster doses of Covid vaccines to people in the age group of 18-59 years amid the renewed rise in corona infection in the country. A special campaign will start for this from July 15. Under this 75-day campaign, free booster doses of Covid vaccine will be given at government vaccination centers.
Union Minister Anurag Thakur said on Wednesday that to celebrate the 75th anniversary of independence, the government has decided to run this campaign in the form of Amrit Mahotsav to promote the precautionary dose of COVID-19. We will try to complete this campaign in the next 75 days.
So far less than 1 percent have received booster dose
In the country, 77 crore people in the age group of 18-59 years are to be given a precautionary dose. Of this, less than 1 per cent have been given a booster dose so far. 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 booster dose, an official source said.
Antibody levels drop after six months of vaccine
An official said that most of the people in the country got their second dose of Covid vaccines about nine months ago. Studies by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and other international research institutes suggest that the antibody levels in a person’s body decrease about six months after both doses. In such a situation, the immune system is strengthened by giving booster or precautionary doses. So the government has decided to launch a special campaign for 75 days. Under this, people in the age group of 18 to 59 years will be given free booster doses at government centers.
Let us tell you, only last week, the Union Health Ministry has reduced the gap between the booster dose of Covid vaccines from 9 months to 6 months. That is, a booster dose can be taken six months after the second injection. The decision was taken based on the recommendation of the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (NTAGI).
Har Ghar Dastak Abhiyan 2.0 going on
To speed up vaccination and encourage booster doses, the central government had launched the second round of ‘Har Ghar Dastak Abhiyan 2.0’ in states and union territories from June 1. This two-month campaign is going on now. According to government data, 96 percent of India’s population has been given the first dose of Covid vaccine while 87 percent people have taken both doses.
