Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on Wednesday that there were more than 10.34 crore people in the country who had missed the second dose of COVID-19 vaccine that they were due to take.
He added that adequate vaccine doses were available in the country, and more than 12 crore unutilised doses were available with the States.
According to a release issued by the Health Ministry, the “Har Ghar Dastak” (Knock Every Door) campaign is scheduled to start soon in districts with low vaccination rates to enthuse and motivate people towards getting their jab.
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“No district should be without full vaccination,” the Health Minister told State governments, adding that the goal is to cover the entire adult population with at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine by the end of November.
Dr. Mandaviya on Wednesday held a meeting with Health Ministers of States and Union Territories to discuss issues related to the COVID-19 emergency response package and the scaling up of the vaccination drive. The State Health Ministers were requested to ensure continuous monitoring.
Dr. Mandaviya urged the States to make regional and local-level plans with all the stakeholders to reduce the number of people with vaccination overdue.
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He also called for innovative strategies to encourage stakeholders to achieve their targets.
The meeting also saw a discussion on the PM Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission scheme, the Health Ministry said. The interaction took place in Vigyan Bhavan here.
Dr. Mandaviya said that the ambitious health infrastructure initiative, launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 25, was drafted in consultation with States and would be implemented in coordination with them.
“We will work together, with the Centre providing all necessary support to make this happen in the next five years,” he said.