Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya will hold a meeting today with the Health Ministers of the States and Union Territories regarding the COVID-19 vaccination campaign in the country. Mandaviya will also discuss with the Health Ministers the PM Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission and the delay in giving the second dose of Covid-19 vaccines. News agency ANI has given this information.
The Center on Tuesday urged states and union territories to focus on the beneficiaries who are waiting to receive the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine even after their gap period between the two vaccines is over. States and Union Territories have been urged to improve the pace of vaccination and accelerate its coverage.
India has covered 76 per cent of the eligible population for the first dose. According to a health ministry statement, “So far 71.24 crore first doses, 76 per cent of the eligible population have been administered, and 30.06 crore second doses, covering 32 per cent of the eligible population.”
The Center wants to speed up the vaccination drive as it plans to vaccinate the entire eligible population by the end of the year. India’s cumulative COVID-19 vaccination coverage crossed 102 crores on Tuesday with over 64 lakh doses in the last 24 hours.
According to the Health Ministry, more than 107 crore vaccine doses have been provided to the states and union territories through the free channel of the government and through the direct state procurement category. “More than 12.37 crore remaining and unutilized Covid-19 vaccine doses are still available with the states and union territories,” the ministry said.