Chennai, Aug 8 (IANS): As many as 16.86 lakh people were inoculated in 50,000 Covid-19 vaccination camps held across Tamil Nadu as part of 33rd mega vaccine camp which got underway on September 12, 2021.

In a statement on Monday, the health department said that 95.94 per cent of the population aged above 18 years have received their first dose, while 89.37 per cent got their second dose of vaccine.

Tamil Nadu Health Minister Ma Subramanian told IANS: "The mega health camps held across the state have helped inoculate 90 per cent of the population in the state."

The Minister also urged the people to come forward and take precautionary vaccine doses and said that 3,59,17,783 people are eligible for precautionary vaccines in the state.

He said that the government would be providing vaccines free of cost for another 52 days as part of the commemoration of the 75th independence day celebrations of the country.

Ma Subramanian while speaking to IANS said: "People of the state must make use of this free precautionary vaccine dose as part of the 75th independence day celebrations of the country. They can either take the vaccine at the daily vaccine camps or at the mega vaccine camps that are held in an alternate week."

The next mega vaccine camp is scheduled to be held in the state on August 21.

The Minister said that the SARS-CoV2 virus has been mutating continuously and it was necessary to get people vaccinated against it.