Goa govt announces 'Tika Utsav 3.0' for 18-44 age group

Panaji, June 09: The Goa government on Wednesday announced that it will host "Tika Utsav 3.0", a vaccination festival across the state to inoculate maximum population in the age group of 18 to 44 years against COVID-19.

Speaking to reporters after chairing a state Cabinet meeting, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said, "Through Tika Utsav 3.0, we will be able to vaccinate everyone in the 18-44 age category in the state. We have witnessed a good response to the Tika Utsavs that were held in the past."

The state government has held two "Tika Utsavs" in the past involving all panchayats and municipal councils. Sawant further said the opposition parties were "unnecessarily" criticising the Tika Utsavs, when they had been garnering good response from the public. Meanwhile, the chief minister rubbished reports that the state government had purchased Ivermectin tablets worth Rs 22 crore that would have to be discarded now.

"Ivermectin was supposed to be the part of prophylaxis treatment for COVID-19. We had not purchased any tablet, as the proposal for the same was pending with the state government," he said. The Union Health ministry has suspended the use of Ivermectin for the treatment of COVID-19 infection. Ivermectin tablets had earlier been a part of the home isolation kits, when it was approved by the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR).