Centre reviews COVID-19 vaccination coverage in northeastern states, directs to focus on 60+ age group

During the meeting chaired by Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan, the administration of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh were also present.

File Photo (PTI)

New Delhi: The Centre on Saturday (September 4, 2021) reviewed the COVID-19 vaccination coverage in the northeastern states and directed them to focus on the 60+ age group. During the meeting chaired by Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan with the administration of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura and Uttarakhand, he underlined that the states need to immediately saturate first vaccine dose coverage among the 18+ category. 

The administration of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh also took part in the meeting.

Asserting that the coverage of both doses is unsatisfactory in Assam, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Meghalaya, Rajesh Bhushan also asked the states to focus on the 60+ category. 

In the meeting, the details of the balance stock in the states and UTs, vaccine coverage among special groups, women were also discussed. 

The health ministry suggested that the States earmark doses, days and target the completion of the vaccine dose coverage. 

Further, the states and the UTs were advised to closely monitor the stock from State Vaccine Stores to Cold Chain Point. They were also advised to check rational distribution and restrict vaccine wastage to below 2%, update data on eVIN on a daily basis and also check the supply of other denomination syringes as per availability for vaccination. 

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare informed that India's COVID-19 vaccination coverage has crossed the 68 crore mark milestone after more than 62.25 lakh vaccine doses were administered on Saturday.