New Delhi: 75 days long ‘COVID Vaccination Amrit Mahotsava’ concludes today. The campaign started on July 15, 2022 in a ‘mission mode’ in which special COVID-19 vaccination drives were organised by all States and UTs to increase uptake for the precaution dose of COVID-19 vaccines among the eligible adult population (persons aged 18 years & above who have completed six months or 26 weeks after the second dose).In 75 days, across all states and UTs, 11,104 camps were organised at bus stations, 5,664 camps at railway stations, 511 camps at airports, over 1,50,004 camps at various schools and colleges, 4,451 camps at routes of religious yatras, and over 11,30,044 camps were organised at various private and government workplaces and industrial establishments. As a result, more than 76.18 lakh first dose, 2.35 crore second dose and 15.92 crore precaution dose have been administered in this period of 75 days. More than 24.73 lakh doses per day have been administered including 20.68 lakh doses precaution dose per day.
Under the COVID Vaccination Amrit Mahotsava, all States and UTs were urged to run the campaign as a ‘Jan Abhiyan’ with massive mass mobilisation, through a camp approach. Multiple special vaccination camps in the routes of Char Dham Yatra (Uttarakhand), Amarnath Yatra (Jammu & Kashmir), Kanwar Yatra (all States/UTs of North-India) as well as major melas and congregations were organised. Further, Special Vaccination Camps were organised at office complexes, industrial establishments, railway stations, inter-state bus stations, in schools and colleges. A total of 13,01,778 such camps were organised for free COVID-19 vaccination.
At the start of COVID Vaccination Amrit Mahotsava on July 15, 2022, only 8 per cent of the eligible population aged 18 years and above had received the precaution dose. With the intervention of 75 days long free vaccination campaign, 27 per cent of the eligible population have now received their precaution dose.
Administration of precaution dose is pivotal to confer full/extended protection to beneficiaries against COVID-19. It helps to reduce the severity of the COVID-19 disease, risk of hospitalisation and thereby reduces mortality.
