The Centre held a review meeting on the status of the COVID-19 immunization push on Monday (May 31, 2021) and advised states and UTs to boost the number of close-to-home vaccination centers.
The states and UTs were also encouraged to raise public awareness about the utilization of COVID Vaccination Centers (CVCs).
“The process of identifying Near to Home COVID Vaccination Centres (NHCVC) Sites and linking with existing CVC was also reaffirmed,” said the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in a news statement.
In a meeting presided over by Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan, he praised states’ combined efforts to speed up immunization in the last week of May. He also stated that there is a significant opportunity to accelerate the rate of immunisation even more, since overall vaccine supply is expected to grow further in June.
It should be remembered that in June, approximately 12 crore dosages would be made accessible to states and UTs.
The Union Health Secretary further stated that the Centre will supply the states with the available buffer stock to refill their diminishing stockpiles as soon as possible so that the vaccination effort may continue at a steady pace.
The states were also urged to proactively enhance their engagement with private hospitals on COVID vaccines and to form a two-thirds-member dedicated team to routinely communicate with vaccine makers and private hospitals for timely vaccine deliveries.
They were also advised to make concerted efforts to dramatically limit coronavirus vaccination dosage waste.
A total of 21.58 crore doses have been delivered across the country thus far.
The Centre had previously stated on Monday that the whole eligible population will be vaccinated by the end of 2021. The Central Government has announced that it is in discussion with corporations like Pfizer and that if those negotiations are successful, the schedule for finishing the immunization would shift.
