New Delhi, Oct 27 :Centre will start a month-long mega campaign “Har Ghar Dastak” to advance the COVID-19 vaccination drive among those who are yet to receive either first dose, or have not taken up their scheduled second shot of COVID-19 vaccines, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya announced Today.

The mega campaign is to take off from November 1 onwards.

“We are conducting a mega campaign to encourage people who are still hesitant to take their first shot and those who are missing out their scheduled second dose,” he said.

“For one month, all the states and Union Territories would to ensure that government officials will approach the houses of would appeal people to complete their immunisation programme against the COVID-19,” the Union Minister added.

Mandaviya told the reporters that 48 districts have been identified where the coverage of the first dose is less than 50 per cent whereas more than 10 crore individuals have not turned up for their second dose of COVID-19 despite being on schedule.

“Our focus is to lessen the gap between the first and the second dose of vaccination as early as possible. This mega campaign will help us achieve this target,” he added.

The statement from the Union Health Minister came after he held a meeting with the health ministers of states and UTs today.

The expedition of second dose administration was on the meeting’s agenda and the states/UTs would be urged to speed up the pace of vaccination with a focus on the second dose.

According to the government data, 75 per cent of the eligible population has received the first dose of COVID-19 vaccines while only 31 per cent of them are fully vaccinated.

A senior government official said that India is among the countries with the widest gap in both doses of COVID-19 vaccines.

Dr NK Arora, chairperson, Covid-19 working group of the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (NTAGI), had earlier told UNI that 22 crore eligible people have still not taken any dose of COVID-19 vaccines.(UNI)