Guwahati: The 75-day nationwide drive to provide free Covid-19 precaution doses for the 18-59 age group at government vaccination centres was launched on Friday in Assam as well in around 2,000 vaccination centres.
The drive was formally launched in the state by Health & Family Welfare Minister Keshab Mahanta at the Azara Block Primary Health Centre on the outskirts of the city.
The drive is being held as part of the government's Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav to celebrate the 75th anniversary of India's Independence. The objective of the move is to speed up the vaccination drive by providing free precaution dose vaccination. Speaking on the occasion, Mahanta said that all beneficiaries in the 18-59 age group will receive free precaution vaccination during the 75-day drive, which will conclude on September 30. Earlier, the free precaution dose vaccination was available in government health institutions only for persons in the 60-plus age group and frontline workers.
Mahanta appealed to all eligible persons to avail of this opportunity and thereby help the government in its war against Covid-19.
The event was attended, among others, by West Guwahati MLA Ramendra Narayan Kalita, Kamrup Deputy Commissioner Kailash Karthik N, Director of Health Services (Family Welfare) Kamaljit Talukdar and National Health Mission Executive Director Dr Manoj Choudhury. It may be mentioned that till 7 pm on Friday, the overall number of Covid vaccines administered in the state was 4.70 crore. These include 2.45 crore first doses, 2.15 crore second doses and 9.49 lakh precaution doses. Over 1.59 crore eligible people in the state have not taken the precaution dose so far.
Health department officials said that the state has adequate stock of Covid vaccines at over 62 lakh doses.
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