NEW DELHI: Mansukh Mandaviya, Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, during a Lok Sabha session, stated that any decision on the COVID-19 vaccine booster dose or vaccines for children will be solely based on the expert committee’s recommendations. During the 11-hour long discussion on the pandemic and the government’s response, on December 3, Mandaviya applauded the work done by the scientific community and the medical staff. He stated that the country had reported 3.46 crore COVID-19 cases and 4.6 lakh deaths so far, accounting for only 1.36 per cent of the total cases.
Mandaviya reassuringly said that the government is with the states to ensure that they have a 50-bed critical care medical facility in each district, so that the nation remains prepared for any further pandemics. He went on to say that Rs 100 crore will be spent in each district through the Prime Minister’s Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission for the same.