Guwahati News Desk: Assam will complete administering the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccines to 100% of the eligible population by this month -November. Speaking to the Media, Assam Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma at New Delhi said, “First dose vaccination is around 94-95% (completed). We’ll complete the 1st dose this month & go from village to village to verify whether 100% vaccination has been done.” The Chief Minister further added, “If we complete the first dose this month, we will complete 2nd dose in February.”
Assam as of November 14, administered a total of 3,02,56,155 COVID-19 vaccine doses. Out of which – 2,03,87,533 are first doses of the vaccine and 92,98,622 are second doses of the vaccine. Around 2,70,00,000 doses are of Serum Institute’s COVISHIELD and around 28,00,000 doses are of Bharat Biotech’s COVAXIN. It is to be noted that both the indigenous COVID-19 vaccines have been approved and listed for emergency usage by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Notably, India has set itself the target of vaccinating 100% of its eligible population by the end of December 2021, a deadline that is two months ahead of Sarma’s estimates. As of date, 79% of the eligible adult population in India have been administered at least one dose of the vaccine while 38% have been immunised fully against the disease, Union health ministry said earlier in the day. The remarks from Sarma came on the day Union minister of health and family welfare Mansukh Mandaviya met with health ministers of states and Union territories (UT) and discussed the measures to strengthen the ‘Har Ghar Dastak’ door-to-door vaccination campaign.
Several new suggestions were made during the meeting, the Union health ministry said in a statement. From roping in children to be ambassadors of the vaccination program to running vaccination centres at bus stations, railway stations to ramp up vaccination coverage, several measures were discussed during the review meeting. Assam on November 13, reported 251- new COVID-19 cases out of 40,613 tests conducted with a positivity rate of 0.62%. Kamrup (M)
