NEW DELHI: A nationwide campaign to distribute precaution doses to healthcare staff, frontline workers, and more than 60 people began on Monday. Over one crore reminder messages have been issued to beneficiaries via the CoWIN portal to ensure that they receive their preventative dose.

"The programme of delivering Precaution Dose on the advise of doctors to healthcare and frontline workers and persons of 60+ age is started from today across the country," Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya stated in a tweet on the occasion. "Under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi ji, the administration is committed to providing enhanced security cover to healthcare and frontline workers on a priority basis," he wrote in the same tweet.

Vikas Sheel, Additional Secretary and Mission Director, National Health Mission, had previously stated that reminder SMSs for the precaution dose had been sent to over 1 crore beneficiaries. On Monday, the system will be ready to receive beneficiaries at vaccination centres.  The precaution dose will be given to people who have been on the second dose for nine months. The health ministry has previously stated that people who are eligible for the prophylactic dose will receive SMS reminders through the CoWin system.

The online booking of preventive dose appointments through the CoWIN portal began on Saturday. However, the government has stated that no new registration for precaution dose is required. The precaution dose will be the same as the first and second doses, according to the authorities. Those who received Covaxin will receive Covaxin, while those who received Covishield will receive Covishield.

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