Centre`s `Har Ghar Dastak` COVID-19 vaccination programme to be launched on Dhanteras

`The `Har Ghar Dastak` door-to-door vaccination campaign will run over the next one month for full vaccination in poor performing districts and will be launched on November 2 on the occasion of Dhanwantari Diwas,` official government sources said.

New Delhi: In an attempt to ramp up the COVID-19 vaccination process in the country, the Union government is planning to launch a new campaign, Har Ghar Dastak, for the next one month, starting Dhanteras.

“The ‘Har Ghar Dastak’ door-to-door vaccination campaign will run over the next one month for full vaccination in poor-performing districts and will be launched on November 2 on the occasion of Dhanwantari Diwas,” official government sources told news agency ANI on Thursday (October 28, 2021).

Earlier, on Wednesday, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya had said that the Centre will soon start this mega COVID-19 vaccination campaign in poor-performing districts aiming to achieve full vaccination by the end of November. 

"We are going to launch a mega vaccination campaign `Har Ghar Dastak`. We have decided that for the next one month, healthcare workers will go door-to-door to vaccinate people eligible for the second dose and also those who have not taken the first dose," the Union Health Minister said. 

He also chaired a national review meeting on Wednesday with health ministers of states and UTs. The officials in the meeting discussed the scaling up of the COVID-19 vaccination drive in the country.

Union Health Minister, while addressing the media yesterday also revealed that 77 percent of the eligible population in India has been vaccinated against COVID with the first dose while 32 percent of people have received both doses. 

"More than 10 crores people have not taken the second dose of vaccine. People who are eligible for the second dose should take the vaccine," he added.

Mandaviya also said that there are more than 10.34 crore people in the country who have not taken the second dose after the prescribed interval.

"No district should be without full vaccination", he exhorted the States. He further added, "Let us aim to cover all eligible with 1st dose of COVID-19 vaccine by end-November 2021."

Additionally, the Union Health Minister urged the State and UTs to make regional and local level plans with all the stakeholders to reduce the number of people with vaccination overdue. Mandaviya also urged for innovative strategies to encourage them to achieve their targets to review the planning and execution of district-wise plans for coverage of due beneficiaries of the second dose as available on the Co-WIN portal.