Guwahati: The Ministry of Health has expressed concern for reluctance by health workers and frontline workers in the state to take the prudent booster dose of Covid-19 despite qualify for third shots.
Health workers and frontline and those aged 60 or more with comorbidity qualify for prevention doses.
Many passed prevention doses, including doctors and health staff who remained most vulnerable to Omicron variants that have spread in various districts.
However, many health workers feel that the booster dose is not efficient enough to prevent a very contagious variant like Omicron.
In addition, hundreds of health service workers have contracted a virus in the past few days, and therefore do not qualify for vaccinated with the third dose at this time.
Data from the State Vaccination Office revealed that around 2.87 beneficiaries of the Lakh have completed nine months from the date of the second shot and therefore, qualified for a dose of booster.
“Although recurring reminders and publicity, some people in the district will advance to get a booster dose.
The number of beneficiaries is increasing from day to day,” Nodal Nodal officers for Covid-19 vaccination, Munindra Nath Natey, told toi on Saturday.
He said about 3,000 covid vaccination centers operated for the past few days and this had sufficient capacity to accelerate the administration of a booster dose.
Only about 10,000-15,000 people are advanced to be fully inspired by a dose of booster every day on average, even though the Ministry of Health has made arrangements to vaccinate at least 1 lakh beneficiary every day.
For example, from Saturday morning to 76,414 vaccine doses were given, which was far below the daily capacity of around 1.5 lakh doses.
About 1.06 lakh has taken a booster dose in the state until Saturday afternoon, after the drive was launched on January 10, the severity of the disease among the significant population being hospitalized in the third wave, including in Gautati Medical College and Hospital.
Dr.
Gayatri Gogoi, an assistant professor at Assam Medical College and noted researchers, who have not taken a dose of booster, said, “However, health care workers who deal with Covid patients remain very susceptible to infection and can be infected even after getting a booster dose.
ICMR experts said the booster dose would not prevent infection.
Among people who do not have comorbidity, Omicron can trigger only mild infections.
“Ngatey, on the other hand, said because the booster dose must be given voluntarily, they cannot force anyone to be vaccinated for the third time.
“Most importantly, health care workers and forefront of qualifying to get a booster dose are well aware of the need for vaccinated in battle against Covid-19.
They must show urgency in getting a booster shot,” he said.
About 2.17 lakh health services at Assam have got the first jab and around 2 lakh have taken a second shot.
So far, around 31,255 health workers have got a booster shot.
Of the 4.40 lakh frontline workers in the state, the second dose has been given around 4.12 lakh.
However, only around 46,648 frontline workers have taken a booster dose in the last 11 days.