New Delhi: With an aim to accelerate the process of Covid19 vaccination across India, the Union Health Ministry on Friday announced that precaution doses of Covid vaccines will be made available to all above 18 years of age at private vaccination centers. "It has been decided that precaution dose of Covid vaccines will be made available to 18+ population group at private vaccination centers," the health ministry has said.
The administration of precaution dose to all people above 18 would start From April 10. "All those who are more than 18 years of age and have completed 9 months after the administration of the second dose, would be eligible for precaution dose," the ministry said.
So far, about 96 percent of all people above 15 years of age across India have received at least one Covid 19 vaccine dose while about 83 percent of people above 15 years have received both doses. As per the statistics, more than 2.4 crore precaution doses have also been administered to health care workers, front-line workers, and people who are above 60 years. At least 45 percent of the 12 to 14 years age group have also received the first dose.
Talking about the development, Dr. Tamorish Kole, senior health expert, and president of the Asian Society of Emergency Medicine told ETV Bharat that the decision taken by the government is long overdue. "This is long overdue. A booster dose has always helped in preventing severe disease and death. We must take it at the earliest," said Dr. Kole who also said that the Covid19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of urgent care centers.
"Urgent care is a new concept in India but new care delivery models are emerging post-Covid. Post-Covid, people are avoiding hospitals. There is scope for urgent care development in India as India lacks quality care at an affordable cost. We should focus on a relatively low investment business model with returns within the next 2-3 years," Dr. Kole said.
Urgent care centers are primarily used to treat patients who have an injury or illness that requires immediate care but is not serious enough to warrant a visit to a hospital.
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