New Delhi: The Union Health Ministry on Friday announced that the precaution dose of COVID-19 vaccines will be made available to the 18+ age group at private vaccination centres from April 10.


"The administration of Precaution Dose to 18+ population through Private Vaccination Centres would start from 10th April (Sunday), 2022. All those who are more than 18 years of age & have completed 9 months after the administration of second dose, would be eligible for Precaution Dose," the ministry's statement reads.


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Those who are more than 18 years of age and have completed 9 months after the administration of the second dose are eligible for Precaution Dose.


As per the health ministry's data, about 96 per cent of all 15+ age group in the country has received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose while about 83 per cent of this population has received both doses.


More than 2.4 crore Precaution Doses have also been administered to Healthcare Workers, Frontline Workers, and 60+ population groups.


Meanwhile, 45 per cent of the 12-14 years age group have received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccination.


"The ongoing free vaccination programme through Government Vaccination Centres for first and second dose to the eligible population as well as Precaution Dose to Healthcare Workers, Frontline Workers, and the 60+ population would continue and would be accelerated," the ministry mentioned.


The national vaccination drive was rolled out on January 16 last year with healthcare workers getting inoculated in the first phase. Vaccination of frontline workers began on February 2, 2021.


The next phase of COVID-19 vaccination commenced on March 1, 2021, for people above the age of 60 years and those aged 45 and above with specified co-morbid conditions.


India launched vaccination for all people aged more than 45 years from April 1 last year. The government then decided to expand its vaccination drive by allowing everyone above 18 years of age to be inoculated against the viral disease from May 1 last year.


The next phase of vaccination commenced on January 3 for adolescents in the age group of 15-18 years.


India began administering precaution doses of vaccines to healthcare and frontline workers and those aged 60 and above with comorbidities from January 10.


The country began inoculating children aged 12-14 on March 16.