A total of 97.77 million people received the first dose of Covid-19 vaccines while 62.11 million got the second dose and 1.57 million booster doses were given till January 31 across the country.
The government has lowered the minimum age limit for the third time after launching the nationwide COVID-19 booster shot campaign on December 19, 2021, to scale up its efforts for containing the spread of the lethal virus, according to the DGHS.
Initially, 60 years and above for elderly people was the minimum age for receiving booster dose but later the authorities fixed the minimum age of 50 years and above on January 17, 2022, they said adding, from now, the government has set 40 years as the minimum age to expedite the booster dose campaign.
As part of intensifying the nationwide inoculation drive, the government has decided to lower the minimum age by five years as such now people aged 25 years and above are allowed to receive COVID-19 vaccines, reports BSS.
The authorities fixed 30 years as the minimum age for receiving coronavirus vaccines on July 19 and later the government has fixed 25 years as the minimum age to receive coronavirus vaccines, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) sources said.
People aged 55 and above were only eligible for taking vaccines but the decision has been revised a day after the launching of the countrywide COVID-19 vaccination campaign on February 7 last year.