As some states revel in a surge in COVID-19 cases, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said Monday that the pandemic is not over yet and that they want to be vigilant and practice Covid-appropriate behavior.
The minister called on states and union territories to continue surveillance and focus on genome sequencing to identify new variants in the country.
The minister held a video convention with fitness ministers and senior officials from the states and territories of the union to review the progress of the vaccination program of the Har Ghar Dastak 2. 0 campaign, the Ministry of Health said in a statement.
Noting the rising rate of positive cases in some districts and states and the easing in COVID-19 testing, Mandaviya said the development of up-to-date and timely testing will allow for early identification of cases and slow the spread of infection in the community.
The minister said the five-pronged strategy of testing, tracing, treating, vaccinating and adhering to appropriate COVID-19 habits will need to be implemented and monitored across states and UTs.
States were also asked to focus on implementing the operational rules for a revised COVID-19 surveillance strategy, which focus on tracking incoming foreign travelers and surveillance through gyms, labs, the community, etc. , he said.
Stressing the importance of COVID-19 vaccination among vulnerable age groups, he suggested state fitness ministers review the prestige and progress of the month-long special crusade, the Har Ghar Dastak 2. 0 crusade, which began on June 1.
“Let’s intensify our efforts to identify all recipients in the organization ages 12 to 17 of the first and second doses, so they can assist with vaccine coverage,” Mandaviya said.
He suggested states target the organization for 12- to 17-year-olds through school campaigns, as well as youth who don’t attend school during summer vacation, he said.
He added that the population over 60 years of age is a vulnerable category and should be protected by the precautionary dose. “Our fitness staff goes door-to-door to make sure the vulnerable population gets the dose of caution. “he said. State health ministers have also been asked to regularly review the management of preventive doses for people aged 18 to 59 in private hospitals, he said.
He said, “We can use the teachings of Har Ghar Dastak’s first crusade to aspire to achieve a 100 percent policy among the eligible population to ensure a widespread policy against COVID-19. “country. Let’s make sure we accelerate the Covid vaccination policy in the second phase of Har Ghar Dastak’s crusade,” he stressed.
States were also strongly urged to ensure that COVID-19 vaccines are not wasted at any cost. This will need to be ensured through active surveillance and based on the “first due, first out” principle, according to which doses that expire earlier will be used first for vaccination, according to the statement. The assembly was attended by State Health Ministers Sapam Ranjan Singh (Manipur), Alo Libang (Arunachal Pradesh), Thanneeru Harish Rao (Telangana), Anil Vij (Haryana), Rushikesh Ganeshbhai Patel (Gujarat), Banna Gupta (Jharkhand), Mangal Pandey (Bihar), Rajesh Tope (Maharashtra), Prabhuram Choudhary (Madhya Pradesh) and K Sudhakar (Karnataka).
AstraZeneca is facing lawsuits over its COVID-19 vaccine, which causes rare side effects such as blood clots and low platelet counts. The company denies those claims, but has admitted in court documents that its vaccine can cause TTS. The claims are for damages of up to £100 million.