New Delhi: Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya will review on Tuesday the coronavirus situation in the country and the ongoing vaccination drive to decide on the future course of actions, official sources said. The minister will also review the COVID-19-appropriate behaviour and protocol, the sources said on Sunday.
The meeting will be attended by top officials, including Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan, Department of Biotechnology Secretary Rajesh S Gokhale, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Director General Rajiv Bahl, NITI Aayog Member (Health) V K Paul, and Chairperson of the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (NTAGI) N K Arora.
The Health Ministry has decided against procuring more Covid vaccines as of now and has surrendered Rs 4,237 crore, or nearly 85 per cent of the 2022-23 budget allocation for inoculation purposes, to the Finance Ministry. According to official sources, around 1.8 crore doses are still available with the governments at the Centre and in states and the stock is sufficient to continue the vaccination drive for around six months, given the low uptake of vaccines among people due to declining Covid case burden.
The cumulative Covid vaccine doses administered in the country have crossed 219.33 crore. Official sources said 98 per cent of India's adult population have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine while 92 per cent have been fully vaccinated. Also, 83.7 per cent of adolescents aged 15 to 18 years have been vaccinated with the first dose since the vaccination for this age group began on January 3, while 72 per cent have got both the first and second doses. In the age-group of 12-14 years, 87.3 per cent have been administered the first dose while 68.1 per cent are fully vaccinated. Of the total eligible target population of 18 years and above, a little over 27 per cent have been administered precaution doses so far. (PTI)
