New Delhi: The government announced on Friday that coronavirus booster doses will be given to all adults starting on Sunday at private immunisation centres.
The directive means that, unlike the booster doses for healthcare workers, frontline employees, and those over 60, most adults will have to pay for the third jab.
“Ongoing free vaccination programme through government vaccination centres for first and second dose as well as Precaution Dose to Healthcare Workers, Frontline Workers and 60+ population would continue and would be accelerated,” a government statement said.
About 96 percent of the country’s population aged 15 and over has gotten at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccination, while about 83 percent has received both doses, according to the report.
The decision to make the booster available to all adults comes as diseases spread across numerous countries, making it difficult for some Indians to go overseas without receiving a third dose.
Vaccination in the absence of booster doses is not considered complete in some countries, such as Israel.
Despite concerns about new coronavirus mutations, particularly the XE variety, infections in India have dropped to their lowest level in over a year, with 1,109 new cases and 43 deaths reported in the last 24 hours.
The overall number of infections in India has now surpassed 4.3 crore, with 5.21 lakh deaths.
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