Panaji, Jul 26, 2022, IANS

Panaji, July 26 (IANS) Goa Health Department has set a target to administer precautionary doses of COVID-19 vaccine to 10.5 lakh people in next two months, for which it has decided to rope in various departments.

So far only 79,655 people have taken precautionary doses. I urge people to come forward and take booster doses," Health Minister Vishwajit Rane said on Tuesday.

"Health ministry is monitoring booster dose progress in the state. We have administered precautionary doses to around 79,655 people. Our target is to administer the dose to 10.50 lakh," he said.

He informed that the age group between 18 to 59 has received 33,772 precautionary doses, while 45,883 people of 60 plus age have taken doses.

"By September 30, we have to finish (achieving target). We are trying to reach out in villages and to everyone. We need to organize focus camps to achieve success," he said.

"We have to speed up this process. We will take assistance from the Women and Child Department and other concerned departments to organize vaccination camps," he said.

"We will spread awareness that there is nothing to worry to take shot of booster dose. All 40 MLAs will be taken into confidence to achieve the target. I will write to all MLAs and will speak personally and request them to support," Rane said.

"As Covid rate has come down, people have taken it easy. But we need to take precaution. We don't know when and how these things (Covid) will behave," Rane said, urging people to take precautionary doses.

He said that the government will carry out a campaign about why booster is important, through official video and messages, which will run on every available platform.