Only 4.4% adults in Chandigarh get booster shot

Tribune News Service

Naina Mishra

Chandigarh, April 28

Only 4.4 per cent of the eligible population above 18 years of age in Chandigarh has taken the booster shot till now, while the daily cases have started showing an uptick in the past few days. Eminent virologists have expressed concern that there will be hardly any protective immunity against Omicron without a booster dose.

Of the 8,43,000 eligible population, only 37,768 persons have taken the booster dose in the city.

Shahid Jameel, virologist and former head of the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Consortium on Genomics, while speaking to Chandigarh Tribune, said, “Two doses of Covishield have an efficacy of about 70 per cent against symptomatic infection. This falls over time and by six months, it hardly offers any protection. Against Omicron, the 70 per cent efficacy falls to around 10 per cent and with a booster dose it goes up again. Protection against severe disease and mortality is higher and is further enhanced with a booster.”

“The reason for boosters is to keep the infection away and to further boost protection from the disease. This is important to reduce the virus transmission and circulation in the population. More transmission is also more opportunities for the virus to mutate into new variants,” said Jameel.

The booster dose was thrown open to all adults, at private hospitals across the country. However, the drive has seen a lukewarm response so far.

“The response has been same as it was at the start of the drive. Around 50 people turn up for the booster shot every day. On the weekends, the number of beneficiaries slightly increases,” said a doctor from a private hospital in Sector 44.

Virologist T John Jacob said, “Without a booster, there is hardly any protective immunity against Omicron.

Booster dose is the best defence against Omicron, which can be serious for people with any well-known comorbidity or those aged above 60-65. Two doses with one, two or three-month interval are only priming doses and immunisation is incomplete without a booster dose given at least six months after the previous dose.”

Jacob added, “Each new wave was with a variant which had the propensity to evade immunity to a variable extent. Infection-immunity and immunisation-immunity (priming plus booster) do wane, and this is a feature we did not or could not predict at the beginning.”

City logs 11 fresh cases of covid

Chandigarh: The city logged 11 fresh coronavirus cases on Thursday. The active case count rose to 65. The death toll remained unchanged at 1,165. Meanwhile, six persons were cured of the disease. TNS

About The Author

Tribune News Service

The Tribune News Service brings you the latest news, analysis and insights from the region, India and around the world. Follow the Tribune News Service for a wide-ranging coverage of events as they unfold, with perspective and clarity.

Join Whatsapp Channel of The Tribune for latest updates.