Despite Covid infection count recording a gradual increase, raising the possibility of a fourth wave, not many adults have come forward to take the booster dose of the vaccine.
So far, a lowly 40,792 adults across all categories of the eligible 1.87 lakh have taken the precautionary dose, which is the third shot overall. The booster shot can only be administered nine months after the second.
The Centre had allowed healthcare and frontline workers as well as senior citizens with comorbidities to take free-of-cost precautionary doses at all government vaccination centres, from January 10 this year.
Later, senior citizens without comorbidities were also allowed to take a free third dose vaccine from March 16. Other adults, meanwhile, were allowed to take a paid third dose of vaccine at private hospitals on April 10.
As of Tuesday, those vaccinated with the booster shot included only 4,631 healthcare workers, 7,795 frontline workers, 341 people in the 18-45 age group, 1,613 people in the 45-60 age group and 26,412 senior citizens 60-plus years of age.
Speaking of the low numbers, UT health services director Dr Suman Singh said, “The third dose of vaccine can only be administered after a nine-month gap from the second dose and if a person had not got infected with the virus in the past three months. Most of the city’s population got infected with the virus in the third wave of the pandemic, which had peaked in January this year.”
“Also, the response becomes low when different people become eligible on different dates. The response also became low when hospitalisation was recorded low during the third wave and people think that the Omicron variant of the virus is not lethal. In the 18-60 age group, people are still waiting to get a free dose of vaccine from government centres as not many want to spend money when there is no spike in Covid infection,” Singh added.
{{/usCountry}}“Also, the response becomes low when different people become eligible on different dates. The response also became low when hospitalisation was recorded low during the third wave and people think that the Omicron variant of the virus is not lethal. In the 18-60 age group, people are still waiting to get a free dose of vaccine from government centres as not many want to spend money when there is no spike in Covid infection,” Singh added.
{{/usCountry}}The Centre had set a target of 8.43 lakh people to be immunised in the city. As of Tuesday, 10,85,499 (128%) people, including migrants, have taken their first shot in the UT. A total of 8,99,237 (106%) are fully vaccinated.
The UT has achieved the target of fully vaccinating all the adults over 25.
‘Third dose will protect from infection severity’
Singh encouraged residents to get the booster shot, saying it can go a long way in helping control the severity of the infection.
“Due to multiple factors, the booster dose is getting mixed responses. However, the third dose of vaccine is helping in growing antibodies in the body against the virus and it will reduce the severity of infection, in the possible fourth wave. Hence, eligible people shall definitely take the precautionary dose of vaccine,” the UT health services director said.