E-Paper
Over 1 million in Delhi missed window for second Covid vaccine dose
According to the data, 1.15 million have missed their window for the second doses, and another roughly 678,000 are at present due for their second shots
Prefer HTon Google
Over a million people who got their first doses of a coronavirus vaccine in Delhi have missed the window to take their second shots, according to data compiled by district authorities in the Capital, who have now launched a massive reminder campaign through direct phone calls.
A full vaccination course is crucial for adequate protection from Covid-19, according to experts and real-world evidence from many countries. According to the data, 1.15 million have missed their window for the second doses, and another roughly 678,000 are at present due for their second shots.
Districts are now reaching out to these people, with some making up to 13,000 people a day, asking them to take their doses as soon as possible.
Viswendra, the district magistrate of South East district, said 40 teams have been set up in the district, working from a call centre in the DM’s office complex. “We have a master list of people whose second dose is overdue and due. The teams working in the call centre call up nearly 5,000 people from the list every day. All those contacted are clustered on the basis of their location and mapped with the nearby Covid vaccination centres operating in the district and they are convinced to get the second dose immediately,” he said.
“We have achieved 71.1% coverage for second dose vaccination. Every day up to 8,000 calls are made to those whose second dose is overdue or due. We are trying to cover all the overdue and due cases as soon as possible in a campaign mode. We have found that many people got first dose in North West district and the second dose outside the district and in many cases outside Delhi. It also ends up increasing the number of overall second dose pendency,” said the official not willing to be identified.
The highest number of people with overdue doses are in North West district – 164,518 -- and lowest in North East district – 61,228. With 138,583 overdue cases, West district has second-largest number, followed by South West with 122,589 people.
East district DM Sonika Singh said a call centre running from her office complex has 150 people calling between 12,000-13,000 people every day. “We have achieved 81% second vaccination target in the district and only 19% are left. The teams are closing the overdue cases very fast by ensuring that they get second dose. It is our priority to ensure that 100% of all eligible for second dose get the second dose at the earliest,” said Singh.
According to documents, seen by HT, first dose vaccination coverage against target in North West district is 119% (as on January 12) which means that many people who are not resident of the district also got the jab in the centres running in the district.
This is one of several why many doses were pending – many said they got their second doses in other districts and towns (their cases are closed after they give the reference number verifying they indeed got their second doses), while some said they were ill when they were due for their shots.
Viswendra, who goes by a single name, added that additionally the list of those contacted is shared with officials engaged in ‘Har Ghar Dastak’ campaign to ensure vaccination at doorstep (both first and second dose).
“Under the campaign, lanes and streets with high number of overdue cases are identified. Civil defence volunteers visit these places and carry out awareness, inform people that a vaccination camp in the lane is going to be set up and urge them to get vaccinated the camp,” he said.
Vaccinators from nearby Covid vaccination centres visit the area and set up a camp where many whose second dose is overdue get jabbed. “On Thursday, 14 such camps were organised in South East district,” said Viswendra, adding that nearly 2,000 names were struck off from the overdue list after that.
A Delhi government official, who did not want to be identified, said people give various reasons for not taking the second dose on time. “People blame lack of time due to various reasons like family issues, work overload, absence of SMS intimating about the second dose due date, or because they shifted out of Delhi for time being or forgot the due date,” said this person.
Another district official said other technical reasons too were involved. “Some people used a different phone number for first dose and a different number for second dose. In all such cases, the second dose is shown as pending. When we reach out to them, we learn that they are already vaccinated with second dose. In such cases we close the pendency of that particular case,” this person said.
The call centres are pulling out a very extensive exercise. A call centre in-charge, who is not authorised to talk, said around 20-25% people turn out to be unreachable. “We segregate such names and put them in a repeat call list. We keep trying to get to them,” said the call centre in-charge.
Dr Jugal Kishore, head of the department of community medicine at Safdarjung hospital, said: “Complete two doses of Covid-19 vaccination have improved chance of lesser mortality and severity as compared to single dose or no vaccination. All those whose second dose is overdue or due should complete the due dose as soon as possible. Those who missed the second dose due to any reason still they can get and it will prevent them from severity. If everyone in the country is vaccinated with all the due doses, then the next Covid-19 waves may not be severe and may not create havoc.”
Dr Lalit Kant, former head of the epidemiology and communicable diseases department in ICMR, said the first doses create only some amount of antibodies, which can be short-lived. “The second dose greatly increases the number of immune cells and their ability to make antibodies against the virus. The vaccines reach their full effectiveness about two to three weeks after the second shot,” he said.
