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Bengal

State to urge Centre to introduce free booster shots for general population

State to urge Centre to introduce free booster shots for general population
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Kolkata: In a bid to cover the maximum number of people with the booster doses, the state health department has urged the Centre to introduce free vaccination among the general population in the age group 18-59 from government run Covid vaccination centers (CVCs).

Health Secretary Narayan Swaroop Nigam during a virtual meeting with the senior officials from the Union Health Ministry requested the latter to take some initiatives so that free vaccination can be carried out from the government CVCS at free-of-costs which will encourage more people to come forward to get the booster jab. The number of booster doses among the general population has been comparatively low.

As per the norms by the Union Health Ministry, the elderly people can only get a booster at free of cost from government run CVCs while the general people will get the jab from the private CVCs at an approximate cost of Rs 380 per dose. Many people aged between 18-59 are reluctant to get a booster dose from the private CVCs as they have to pay from pocket. The administration of booster doses among the general population also suffered a setback due to less number of private CVCs across the state.

A section of health experts in the state blamed the Centre's faulty policy for this. Various civic bodies are administering booster doses only to the senior citizens. According to the Central government guidelines, people in the age group of 18 to 59 years will have to take booster Covid dose from the private CVC but the number of private CVCs is lesser in number in the state.

The booster doses among the general population have been affected. Administration of booster doses had started among the front line Covid warriors, doctors, nurses, health workers and elderly people above the age of 60 years with comorbidity on January 10. Around two months after the booster dose was introduced among the health workers and people above 60, the booster doses were started among the general population in the age group 18 to 59 years. As per the norms they are taking the booster doses from private CVCs.

There are only 162 private CVCs while the number of government-run CVCs stands over 1,686. According to a health bulletin issued by the health department, around 38,00,319 booster doses have so far been administered in the state. Around 6.35 crore people received double doses so far while around 7.27 crore have got the first jab so far.

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