Haryana rolls out free booster dose drive at government centres

CHANDIGARH: The Haryana health department on Wednesday rolled out the administration of precautionary dose to fight Covid-19 for the 18-59 age group free of cost at government Covid vaccination centres (CVCS).

Officials said about 3,500 precautionary doses were administered free of cost at government CVCS for persons in the 18-59 age group on the first day. A total of 22,137 precautionary doses, including for the 60-plus age category were administered on Wednesday.

Additional chief secretary (ACS), health Rajeev Arora said they were granted access to the Cowin portal by the Union health ministry from Wednesday. As per the central government’s regulations, all vaccination data should be recorded in the COWIN portal.

The ACS said the state government has been allowed to utilise the available stock of Covid vaccine provided by the central government and will reimburse the cost of vaccine used for inoculating the 18-59 age group to the central government. Failure to deposit the required amount will automatically result in disabling the facility of vaccinating the 18-59 age group beneficiaries with precautionary dose at government CVCS on COWIN portal, officials said.

The Haryana government had last month announced that adults in the 18-59 age group will be administered Covid booster or precautionary dose free of cost.

The central government had decided that adults in the 18-59 age group will have to pay for the booster dose.

The state government, however, decided that the eligible beneficiaries will get booster dose worth Rs 250 free of cost from any government hospital or dispensary. There are over 1.2 crore beneficiaries falling within the said age group in state. The free booster dose will cost the state government about Rs 300 crore, which will be borne from the Covid relief fund.