Indian Council of Medical Research Director-General Balram Bhargava on Thursday said that the main focus is to fully vaccinate the adult population of the country, adding that the issue of booster dose is not pertinent at the moment.
"The call of the hour is to give the two-dose vaccination/full vaccination covering the entire adult population. The talk of booster dose is not pertinent at the moment," said Bhargava during a weekly briefing of the COVID-19 situation in the country.
While talking about the vaccination status in the country, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan announced that 69 per cent of the adult population in the country has received at least one jab of the vaccine against COVID-19.
"69 per cent of the population that is 18 plus years old in the country has received at least one shot in the country," said Bhushan.
The Health Secretary added that by Thursday night, the COVID-19 vaccination count would reach 89 crores.
"By today morning, the total number of COVID-19 jabs provided in the country stood at 88 crores. By tonight, we are aiming to take the total COVID-19 vaccination to 89 crores," said Bhushan.
"The COVID-19 vaccination centres in the urban areas have done 35 per cent vaccination while the vaccination centres in the rural areas have done 64 per cent. It means the vaccination at the rural areas per cent has crossed the urban areas covid vaccination rate," said Bhushan.
"The vaccination percentage is in accordance with the distribution of population between the rural and urban areas," added Bhushan.
States of Chandigarh, Lakshadweep, Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Sikkim has vaccinated 100 per cent of its population with the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
( With inputs from ANI )
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