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'Covid booster dose acts as insurance, take it': NTAGI chairman

Dr NK Arora, NTAGI chairman said, 90% of the patients admitted to hospitals during the last eight months have not taken their booster dose.

Published on: Aug 31, 2022, 21:23:41 IST
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The National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization or NTAGI’s chairman Dr NK Arora on Wednesday advised people to take the precautionary Covid-19 vaccine as there is a high chance that the antibodies decrease after six-eight months. "A booster dose will help us fight the disease more effectively. The data shows 90 per cent of the patients admitted to hospitals during the last eight months have not taken their booster dose," Arora said.

Dr NK Arora, chairman of the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (NTAGI) (ANI)
Dr NK Arora, chairman of the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (NTAGI) (ANI)

"I request every one to take precautionary doses as our antibodies decrease after six-eight months. Booster doses will act as insurance for our health in the future,” the NTGAI chairman said.

He further said, “According to the data, in the last eight months, 90 per cent of patients admitted to hospitals haven't received booster doses.”

Arora said though the severity has become comparatively less and it is fortunate that there is an extremely low death rate, there is a high chance of significant transmissions to step in anytime.

“COVID is very much around us and there is quite a significant transmission of viruses going on. Although we do not see a severe form of it and fortunately the number of deaths is extremely low,” Arora said.

Also Read | Chandigarh: Booster dose free, but drive still moving in slow lane

The first group who were eligible for the booster doses were those who were assessed to be at greater risk by their age or work, according to data from the Union Ministry, and India has already administered over 100 million booster doses of the Covid-19 vaccine. India started administering the booster dose on January 10.

However, according to a recent report, only about 12 per cent of the population who are eligible and between the ages of 18 and 59 have received the precautionary dosage of the Covid-19 vaccination to date.

On July 15, the central government opened a 75-day window for third doses to be given for free at government hospitals.

(with inputs from ANI)

 
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Aniruddha Dhar

With over a decade of years of experience in both print and digital media, I specialise in writing on politics, defence, and world affairs. I possess a discerning eye for human-interest stories, weaving intricate narratives that captivate and inform.

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