Free COVID Booster Dose for All Adults For 75 days

The government has decided to provide a free booster dose for all adults from Friday, July 15. The programme will continue for 75 days. It will be a part of the ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’ to celebrate 75 years of Independence. 

This decision was announced by Union Minister Anurag Thankur. To encourage people to get their third jabs, Har Ghar Dastak campaign 2.0 was also launched. The two month initiative is still underway in all states and Union Territories. 

People can avail the facility free of COVID booster dose the government nearby clinics in their town.

Why Free COVID Booster Dose for all Adults?

ICMR had recently found that the majority of Indians got their second jab before nine months. Most of the studies have shown that immunity wans away after only months. In his unprecedented time, when COVID cases are rising alarmingly, it has become very important to provide immunisation against COVID. 

Only around 1 percent of the eligible individuals in the targeted population of the age group 18-59 have received their third shot. The low turnout is overwhelming and poses a great threat to the health of an individual. However, around 16 percent of the individuals aged 60 and above as well as the frontline workers are already vaccinated. 

The government took the initiative to start vaccination of the precautionary dose for all aged above 18 on April 10, 2022. Around 96% of people have taken the first COVID vaccine dose while 87% are administered with the second. 

On the advice of the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation, the government has reduced the gap between the second and the third dose. It has been reduced from nine to six months. 

The government has continuously urged people to get them vaccinated. This move will further improve the meagre numbers of turnouts for the third dose.