New Delhi: Union Health Minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya on Saturday appealed to representatives of 19 major States to increase their target of vaccination so that the administration of the remaining doses can be made in the next few days to reach India’s 100 crore milestone. Dr Mandaviya also appealed to the States to adhere to the Covid19 behaviour during the coming festive season.
India has so far administered 94 crore vaccine doses. A statement from the health ministry said that Dr Mandaviya underlined the immediate milestone in India’s Covid-19 vaccination of administering 100 crore doses.
“The twin-pronged solution is to follow Covid protocols very strictly and speed up vaccination,” said Dr Mandaviya. Highlighting that 1st dose recipients of the vaccine do not develop severe Covid-19 infection, Dr Mandaviya said that safety increases much more to the people with both doses of the vaccine.
Observing that more than eight crore balance doses are available with States, the minister enquired regarding the specific hurdles, if any, faced by the States in increasing their pace of vaccination and the consequent vaccine coverage among the target population. It was informed by the health secretary Rajesh Bhushan that many States are nearing saturation of coverage in urban areas and are also catering to the floating population in the city.
The official said that labour and time-intensive door to door vaccination is being undertaken in some geographically aloof pockets where first dose coverage is nearing saturation. The meeting also reviewed the SOPs issued by the health ministry for its adherence.
Accordingly, no mass gathering is allowed in areas identified as containment zones & in districts reporting more than 5 percent case positivity. Gatherings with advance permissions & limited people (as per local context) to be allowed in districts with a positivity rate of 5 percent & below, the SOP said.
“It’s very much necessary for the administration for strict implementation of the SOPs,” Dr Mandaviya said.
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