Health Ministry flags Considerable Decline in COVID19 Vaccination

New Delhi
The Union Health Ministry has flagged concerns regarding the considerably slow pace of COVID19 vaccination across States and UTs, and has urged them to significantly expedite the pace towards full vaccination coverage by saturating all eligible beneficiaries. This was communicated to all States and UTs by Shri Rajesh Bhushan, Union Health Secretary as he reviewed the status of COVID vaccination with Health Secretaries and NHM MDs of States and UTs, through a video conference (VC).
Highlighting the urgent need for an intensive ‘Mission Mode’ push to COVID19 vaccination across the country to accelerate the recent placid momentum, Union Health Secretary has advised them to plan for a two-month long Har GharDastak campaign 2.0, during June-July, with detailed district, block and village levels plans. The objective of the ‘Har GharDastak2.0’ Abhiyan is to vaccinate and saturate the eligible population groups for first, second and precaution doses through door-to-door campaigns, with focussed campaigns for old age homes, schools/colleges including the out-of-school children (for focussed coverage of children aged 12-18 years population), prisons, brick kilns, etc. The sub-optimal coverage of persons aged ≥ 60years with precaution dose which renders them vulnerable, along with considerably slower speed of coverage in the 12-14 yrs cohort was pointed out. States/UTs wereurged to undertake effective monitoring with micro-plans based on due-lists of all eligible beneficiaries. Theywere also urged to review administration of precaution dose to 18-59 years age-group with the private hospitals on a regularbasis.