Guwahati, Jan 10 (PTI) The Assam government on Monday started administering the third dose of COVID-19 vaccine, or the booster dose, to vulnerable groups such as healthcare and frontline workers and elderly people, a senior official said.
State Health Minister Keshab Mahanta ceremonially rolled out the drive at Jorhat Medical College and Hospital in presence of local BJP MLA Hitendra Nath Goswami.
NHM Mission Director Lakshmanan S said that the exercise has begun across the state in the existing vaccination centres and beneficiaries have started coming in.
“We have around 4.5-5 lakh healthcare and frontline workers in Assam. They all will be given the booster dose and the drive has begun,” he told PTI.
Lakshmanan also said that an estimated 23 lakh people above 60 years of age will also get the third dose if nine months have passed since their second dose.
When asked about the vaccine stock, he said, “There is absolutely no shortage of vaccines. On an average, we are vaccinating more than two lakh people every day and we have a stock of 75 lakh jabs at the moment.” In its daily bulletin on Sunday night, the National Health Mission (NHM) had said that a total of 3,89,91,520 doses of vaccines have been administered. This included 2,26,32,703 first doses and 1,63,58,817 second doses.
It had said that a total of 57,158 people were vaccinated on Sunday, down from 2,22,016 shots on Saturday.
A total of 11,498 children between 15 and 18 years of age received the first jab across the state on Sunday, NHM had said. PTI TR ACD ACD
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Source: The Print
