Only 31% target met for Covid vaccine booster doses in Ghaziabad

Ghaziabad started administering free-of-cost booster doses from July 15 after the Union government on July 6 reduced the time gap between the second dose vaccine and the booster shot to 75 days or six weeks, from the earlier gap of nine months or 39 weeks

In all likelihood, the Ghaziabad district will miss the September 30 deadline for administration of precautionary doses of the Covid-19 vaccine to all eligible persons. According to district health department figures, Ghaziabad (till 5pm Thursday) could administer only 768,431 precautionary shots, against a target of 2,487,074 shots, which works out to only 30.89% of its target.

A health worker administers a dose of a Covid vaccine at combined district hospital in Ghaziabad. (Sunil Ghosh/HT Photo)

The administration started administering free-of-cost booster doses from July 15 after the Union government on July 6 reduced the time gap between the second dose vaccine and the booster shot to 75 days or six weeks, from the earlier gap of nine months or 39 weeks.

The recommendation to revise the time gap was taken up by the standing technical subcommittee of the national technical advisory group on immunisation (NTAGI).

According to the district health department, till 5pm Thursday, the district took up administration of only 768,431 precaution doses, which is about 31% of its target.

“It is unlikely that the district will meet the September 30 deadline for administering booster shots to all eligible people as there is only one more day to go. The low turnout of beneficiaries is the main reason hampering the administration of booster shots. Since the number of Covid cases has declined considerably, people have not shown much interest in coming to centres to get precautionary doses,” said Dr GP Mathuria, nodal officer for Covid vaccination.

He said the district also took up several mega drives during the period but the target could not be achieved.

“We operated about 240-250 sessions for administration of booster doses and also special drives on particular days when we almost doubled the number of sessions. Now, we are waiting for further instructions from the state officials,” Dr Mathuria added.

In mid July, the district completed 100% coverage for second dose vaccine for all the age groups – 12-15 years, 15-18 years and 18 years and above.

As regards the incidence of Covid, the district registered only 96 positive Covid cases (0.14% positivity rate) in the 29 days of September, while it recorded 1,680 cases in August (positivity of 1.57%), 849 in July (positivity of 0.69%), 1,127 in June (positivity of 0.9%), 938 in May (positivity of 0.74%), 789 in April (positivity of 1.29%), 195 in March (positivity of 0.14%), 1,700 in February (positivity of 0.98%), and 27,052 cases in January (positivity of 9.96%). On Thursday, the district recorded no new Covid cases and only 15 active cases remain in the district.

The experts said the decline in Covid cases has made people complacent.

“Fewer Covid cases have made people complacent and they are not interested in taking booster doses. Even in markets and public places, people have shunned the use of masks. Those who have taken both doses of the vaccine are protected against the infection in a very effective manner. Still, those who have co-morbid conditions should make it a point to get precautionary doses,” said Dr Ashish Aggarwal, former president of Indian Medical Association (Ghaziabad).