A sizeable number of eligible COVID-19 vaccination beneficiaries have not received their second dose and the States have been asked to focus on this, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan has said.
He reviewed the progress of vaccination with senior health officials of States and Union Territories (UTs) earlier this week.
The country launched the vaccination programme on January 16.
Mr. Bhushan noted that the nation was close to administering a billion doses. Many States had adequate doses to vaccinate those awaiting the second dose.
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“The Central Government is in a position to provide additional vaccine doses to the States/UTs so that they can complete the second dose vaccination. We also need to improve the momentum of the vaccination drive,’’ he stressed.
The Health Ministry stated that the government had advised the States and the UTs to identify and prioritise districts having low coverage for focused action and explore requirements for mobilisation efforts, address local challenges, look for the need for additional COVID-19 vaccination centres and improve the access in rural areas. They were also requested to share their strategies to enhance second dose coverage.
The Ministry pointed out that it was now in the process of reviewing international travel guidelines in consultation with all stakeholders, including the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Bureau of Immigration, the Ministry of Civil Aviation and the Ministry of External Affairs. The States and the UTs have been requested to share their suggestions or feedback.
