COVID Vaccination: Govt Flags Slow Pace, Directs States & UTs To Plan 2-Month ‘Har Ghar Dastak’ Campaign

New Delhi: The Union Health Ministry on Friday raised concern over the considerably slow pace of COVID-19 vaccination, and urged states and UTs to expedite the process towards full coverage by saturating all eligible beneficiaries.

Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan communicated the message while reviewing the status of COVID vaccination with Health Secretaries and NHM MDs of states and UTs via video conferencing today.

Bhushan advised states and UTs to chart a two-month long ‘Har GharDastak’ 2.0 campaign during June-July, with detailed district, block and village-level planning.

The target of the ‘Har GharDastak2.0’ Abhiyan will be to vaccinate and saturate the eligible population groups for first, second and precaution doses through door-to-door campaigns, with focus on old age homes, schools/colleges including out-of-school children (12-18 years), prisons, brick kilns, etc.

States/UTs were advised to utilise the stock of near-expiry doses so that there is no wastage, as COVID-19 vaccine is a ‘precious national resource’.

“This must be ensured through active monitoring and on basis of ‘First Expiry First Out’ principle, where doses that expire earlier should be used for vaccination first,” Bhushan laid out.

Precaution dose coverage among persons above 60 has been below optimum, which renders them vulnerable, the Secretary stressed. Also, coverage among the 12-14 age group is considerably slower.

Officials were also urged to review administration of precaution dose to 18-59 years age-group with private hospitals on a regular basis.

States/UTs were advised to utilise the stock of near-expiry doses so that there is no wastage, as COVID-19 vaccine is a ‘precious national resource’.

“This must be ensured through active monitoring and on basis of ‘First Expiry First Out’ principle, where doses that expire earlier should be used for vaccination first,” Bhushan laid out.