Allow precaution doses at govt. centres, Harish urges Centre

COVID vaccines for 18-59 age group available at private vaccination centres

Telangana Health Minister T Harish Rao has requested Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya to allow precaution dose of COVID vaccine to be administered to all eligible beneficiaries in 18-59 years age groups, at government health centres.

The Union Health Ministry has informed on April 8 that the precaution dose of COVID vaccines will be made available to 18+ population group at private vaccination centres from April 10.  “All those who are more than 18 years of age and have completed 9 months after the administration of second dose, would be eligible for Precaution Dose. This facility would be available in all private vaccination centres,” as per a press release. Those who are above 60 years, Front Line Workers (FLW), Health Care Workers (HCW) are given the precaution dose free of cost at government health centres.

Mr Harish Rao has written a letter to Mr Mansukh Mandaviya on Monday to permit Telangana State to extend this facility to the beneficiaries in 18-59, at government vaccination centres. He has mentioned that the first dose vaccine coverage in the State for the 18 plus age population is 106%, and the second dose is 100%. “For 15-17 years cohort, the first dose coverage is 90%, and second dose coverage is 73%. The first dose coverage for the 12-14 years age group is 78%. This massive vaccination programme has enabled us to contain the COVID-19 infection and restricted the severity and new infections to a large extent,” Mr Harish Rao mentioned in his letter.