Guwahati: Five lakh people have missed the second dose of Covid-19 vaccine when the second shot was due at Assam.
From this number, 3.32 lakh missed the second dose of covishield and 1.67 lakh people missed the second covaxin according to the report available with the country’s immunization office here.
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Assam plans to launch awareness campaign to bring the beneficiary group to the earliest vaccination centers.
The number of missed shots had placed the Ministry of Health on the toes when Assam obtained a difference in giving 2 crore doses on Saturday.
For Covishield, the highest dose of 26,804 seconds was late in the Central Nagaon Regency, followed by 26,634 doses in Kamrup (Metro) and 25,586 doses in Kamrup.
In the case of Covaxin, Barpeta has 30,908 highest beneficiaries that missed the second dose.
Sonitpur and Kumbrup (Metro) have recorded the second highest and third case of lost doses.
State Nodal Officer Vaccination Covid, Munindra Nath Nattey, shows that there are incompatibility in telephone numbers and recipient documents during the first and second doses.
Unlike the previous trend of low vaccination in hills and inhabited minority districts, places where the second dose was missed had a mixed population.
“The negligence of people in getting the second dose on time is the main reason reported by five lakh who reported missed the last Jab,” said Ngatey.
He said many cases could not be traced.
“Many beneficiaries provide different numbers during registration co-win for the first and second Jabs.
Documents sent for each different dose.
When the telephone number is not suitable, it is very difficult to track the beneficiaries,” Ngaty added.
TII recently reported that while the second dose of Covaxin was scheduled between 28 and 42 days, several HCW (health care workers) and FLWS (frontline workers) passed 80 days and were still not vaccinated.
In the case of covishield, the second dose matured between 84 and 112 days, but some passed 150 days and finally missed it.
Ngatey, however, said there were no hard and fast rules to maintain deadlines and even those who missed the second shot was given the opportunity to be fully vaccinated earlier.
“We want everyone to get the second dose of Covaxin within 42 days but many take it even after 50 days.
They may not miss the second dose,” he added.
Health officials said even though there were messages sent on the registered cellphone about the due date, many did not appear in the vaccination center.
Health department officials show that in the case of several people, who start traveling after restrictions subside, taking their doses where they go.
“In the district where people get their first jab, it will continue to show late if they don’t return for the second shot with the same ID and telephone number.
It happens in many cases in our district,” said Dr.
Biman Sarma, District Immunization , Officer, Sonitpur.
Source said the union government tried to remove their names which showed mistakenly because of missing the second dose.
“About 30% of the second dose case is not original in Assam.
The telephone number and ID of these people are not suitable,” he said.