Telangana: Free Covid vaccine booster shots drive gets underway

Hyderabad: The free Covid booster/precautionary vaccine administration drive at government healthcare facilities, focusing on vaccination of individuals between 18 years and 59 years of age, got underway on Friday.

The booster Covid vaccine administration drive was launched on April 10 of this year. However, at that time the union Health Ministry had permitted booster doses only at private hospitals and capped the cost of single booster dose to Rs. 225.

From Friday, the precautionary vaccination for beneficiaries between 15 years and 59 years will be available for the next 75 days. A total of 2,76,43,094 individuals in the same age group are eligible for getting the booster shots in Telangana. Since April 10, at private hospitals, a total of 10,88,455 individuals in the State have received the booster shots.

Eligible individuals can visit the nearest urban primary healthcare facility and get themselves administered with a booster dose. Those who received Covishield and Covaxin twice in the earlier rounds will receive the same vaccine as a booster shot. The health authorities at the local healthcare facility will record the Aadhaar card and phone number of the beneficiary and take-up registration on the spot, before administering the precautionary dose.

The precautionary dose administrative drive is being taken up in a unique way, as authorities have established 24/7 vaccine administration counters at multiple public areas including MGBS and JBS, railway stations in Secunderabad, Nampally, Kazipet.

Also, all government institutions including junior colleges, degree colleges, engineering colleges, university campus, housing societies, private and government offices, industrial estates will also have special counters to administer to Covid precautionary shots.