Precaution dose of Covid vaccine: Dispur sets July 31 target

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The Director of Health Services (Family Welfare) has directed the Additional Chief Medical & Health Officer (Family Welfare) and District Immunization Officers to ensure that the process of administering due and overdue doses of the precaution Covid vaccine is completed by July 31.

In a recent letter, the Director of Health Services (Family Welfare) further directed the officials concerned to disseminate through various means the information that the gap between administering the second dose and the precaution dose has been reduced from nine months to six months. This information is to be spread to all concerned, including Covid Vaccination Centres (CVCs) and private hospitals, the letter stated.

The letter also directed the officials concerned to engage with all private hospitals to encourage administering of the Covid precaution dose to people in the 18-59 age group and simultaneously arrange mass mobile messaging through the National Informatics Centre (NIC) to all eligible beneficiaries as per guidelines for 18-59 years category, the above 60 years age group, as well as all Health Care Workers (HCW) and Frontline Workers (FLW).

The letter stated that a list of all categories of due and overdue beneficiaries of the precaution dose should be compiled for further action by the government CVCs.

The Director of Health Services' letter has been issued after the Union Ministry of Health Welfare wrote to all States and Union territories that as per the evolving scientific evidence and global practice, "the Standing Technical Sub-Committee (STSC) of the National Technical Advisory Group of Immunization (NTAGI) has recommended to revise the duration between 2nd dose and precaution dose from existing nine months or 39 weeks to six months or 26 weeks. This has also been endorsed by NTAGI".

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