COVID vaccination Amrit Mahotsava to commence Friday

New Delhi [India], July 14 (ANI): A 75-day 'COVID Vaccination Amrit Mahotsava' will commence from Friday to provide free precaution doses for all adult-eligible population at Government COVID Vaccination Centres (CVCs).
Being implemented in a 'Mission Mode' this special COVID vaccination drive is a part of the celebration for 'Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav'. The special drive is aimed to increase the uptake of the Precaution Dose of COVID vaccine among the eligible adult population.
In a virtual meeting with State/UTs, Health Secretaries and National Health Mission MDs chaired by Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan, states and UTs have been urged to give an intensive and ambitious push towards full COVID-19 vaccination coverage by vaccinating all eligible beneficiaries and covering them with precaution dose.
The Union Health Secretary highlighted that less percentage of precaution doses uptake among population groups aged 18 years and above (8 per cent) and persons aged 60 years and above (27 per cent) is a cause of concern. The government of India has announced a special drive 'COVID Vaccination Amrit Mahotsava' to be launched to provide free precaution dose at all Government Covid Vaccination Centres for persons aged 18 years and above.
This would be for 75 days, from July 15 to September 30, 2022, the Health Ministry informed.
Those eligible for the Precaution Dose include all persons of above 18 years who have completed 6 months (or 26 weeks) from the date of administration of second dose.
The states/UTs were urged to implement 'COVID Vaccination Amrit Mahotsava' for 75 days as 'Jan Abhiyaan' with massive mass mobilization, through a camp approach. They were advised to organize special vaccination camps in the routes of Char Dham Yatra (Uttarakhand), Amarnath Yatra (Jammu and Kashmir), Kanwar Yatra (all States/UTs of north India) as well as major melas and congregations.
Union Health Secretary advised States/UTs to operationalise special workplace vaccination camps at big office complexes (public and private), industrial establishments, railway stations, inter-state bus stations, in schools and colleges etc. In all such special vaccination camps, vaccination is to be done mandatorily through CoWIN and vaccination certificate is to be provided.
Ambitious District/Block/CVC-wise session plans need to be made for successful implementation of the initiative and to ensure that all eligible population is covered by Precaution Dose. States/UTs were also advised to do wide advance publicity of this initiative in print, electronic, social and mass media. State Health Secretaries have been urged to undertake regular weekly review of progress at the state level.
States/UTs were advised to ensure that the available COVID vaccine doses are consumed in a timely manner and no dose expires in both government and private facilities. Highlighting that COVID vaccine is a precious national resource, states were requested to assess the requirement for the 75-day special drive as per the eligible population groups and inform the Centre.
This would enable the Union Ministry of Health to provide adequate doses to the states/UTs that need them. The principle of First Expiry, First Out will continue to guide the COVID vaccination. (ANI)