India@75: The Union government of India will administer booster doses against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) free of cost to all adults for 75 days from July 15 to mark the country’s 75th year of Independence.
Union Minister Anurag Thakur said yesterday the initiative is part of the government’s Azadi ka Amrit Kaal celebrations.
“India is celebrating 75 years of Independence. On the occasion of Azadi ka Amrit Kaal, it has been decided that from July 15, 2022, till the next 75 days, citizens above 18 years of age will be given booster doses free of cost. This facility will be available at all government centres.”
The two-month programme is currently underway. According to government data, 96 per cent of India’s population has been administered the first dose of Covid vaccine while 87 per cent of the people have taken both doses.
On April 10 this year, India began administering precautionary doses of COVID-19 vaccines to all aged above 18 years. The countrywide vaccination drive had rolled out on January 16 last year with healthcare workers getting inoculated in the first phase. Vaccination of frontline workers started from February 2 last year.
India logged 16,906 new coronavirus infections pushing the total tally of COVID-19 cases to 4,36,69,850, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated today.
The death count climbed to 5,25,519 with 45 new fatalities, the data updated at 8 am stated.
The active COVID cases have increased to 1,32,457. They comprise 0.30 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate was recorded at 98.49 per cent, the ministry said.
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