Harsh Vardhan to hold meeting with health ministers of states lagging behind in COVID-19 vaccination

Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan on Wednesday will hold a meeting with the health ministers of some states that are lagging behind in COVID-19 vaccination.

According to the health ministry, Dr Harsh Vardhan will hold meetings with the Health Ministers of Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Punjab, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha and Telangana.

This comes as several states, including Maharashtra and Delhi, have flagged shortage of vaccine doses at a time when coronavirus cases are surging in the country.

Health Ministry on Tuesday urged states to ensure all beneficiaries who have taken the first dose of COVID-19 are prioritised for the second dose and reserve at least 70 per cent of the shots supplied from the central pool for the purpose.

States were also urged to minimise wastage of vaccine doses and also asked to undertake an awareness campaign for reinforcing the importance of complete vaccination with two doses of the vaccine.

It was suggested to states to refrain and reorient vaccinators to ensure judicious usage of the vaccines.

(ANI)

Also Read: COVID-19: With 4,205 deaths, India reports highest single-day toll; 3.48 lakh fresh cases