Covid-19: Booster dose in focus as Telangana clocks a paltry 3% | Hyderabad News
With such a poor coverage, focus is back on states with the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI) preparing to meet health officials of these states to discuss ways to expand the booster dose coverage and child immunisation coverage. According to NTAGI chief Dr NK Arora, there is complacency among people in taking the precautionary dose. “We will soon begin consultations with states to improve the coverage,” he told TOI. He said that social mobilisation initiatives and awareness programmes would be launched to sensitise people. He lauded Telangana’s performance in first and second coverage.
According to the most recent data of the Union health ministry, 96.2% of Indians over the age of 15 have received at least one vaccine, while 85.2% received both.
With Hyderabad on alert after two patients tested positive for Omicron’s variants of concern (BA.4 & BA.5), the city’s cold response to the booster dose rollout is cause for greater concern. With NTGAI scheduled to hold a key meeting with health officials, citizens and the state government should wake up before these Covid lineages threaten to fuel another wave.
Several states, however, trail the national average significantly. Vaccine coverage in Bihar, Jharkhand and the north-eastern states (excluding Assam) is also poor. Uttar Pradesh performed well among the larger states. West Bengal exceeded 81% of the double dose coverage target.
Taking the jab only when the cases are high will be ineffective, according to Dr Arora. “It is better to follow the health ministry’s protocols on precaution dose. Those who took both doses, vaccine dose needs some time to function at its fullest capacity,” he said. People with comorbidities should be more careful, he added.
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