Omicron scare: Clamour for booster grows among people

Sunit Dhawan

Tribune News Service

Rohtak, December 23

Following reports of cases of Omicron variant in state and growing cases in the country, a number of residents who have received both doses of anti-Covid vaccine are now thronging vaccination centres to get the third or subsequent booster dose.

No Govt instructions

Nobody will be given a third/booster dose of anti-Covid vaccine as there are no instructions in this regard from the government. — Capt Manoj Kumar, Rohtak DC

Canada returnee tests +ve for new variant

Gurugram: A student who returned to Faridabad from Canada has tested positive for Omicron variant. The woman, who had returned on December 13, tested positive for Covid a day later. Her sample was sent for genome sequencing which confirmed the Omicron variant on December 20.

However, such vaccine enthusiasts are being turned back by the vaccinators as there are no guidelines from the government regarding the administration of third or booster dose of anti-Covid vaccine.

“It has come to our notice that several residents are coming to Covid vaccination centres to get a third or booster dose. We hereby clarify that nobody will be given a third/booster dose of anti-Covid vaccine as there are no instructions in this regard from the state government,” said Rohtak Deputy Commissioner Capt Manoj Kumar.

The Deputy Commissioner warned that if anyone gets a third or booster dose from any vaccination centre, the person in charge of the centre would be held responsible for it.

“The Health Department has issued specific directions regarding the matter to all health centres, sub-centres, community and primary health centres and poly-clinics,” he said.

The DC pointed out that the prevalence of Omicron variant has been reported from 79 countries and taking the prescribed precautions was the only way to prevent its spread.

Dr RB Jain, the nodal officer for Covid vaccination drive at Rohtak-PGIMS, asserted that two doses of anti-Covid vaccines were found to be adequate for prevention of Covid infection.

“Even if a person gets infected with Corvid after getting both doses of vaccine, the infection would be mild for which hospitalisation, oxygen or ventilator support is not required,” he stated.

Meanwhile, the positivity rate of Covid in the district has come down to 4.27 per cent and the recovery rate has reached 97.73 per cent. There is one active case of Covid in the district.

District Vaccination Officer Dr Aniljeet Trehan disclosed that 12,06,644 doses of anti-Covid vaccine have been administered to the beneficiaries in the district till date. “Of these, 25,024 doses have been given to healthcare workers and 15,735 doses to frontline workers. Residents in the age-group of 18 to 44 years have got 6,96,178 doses, while those in the age-group of 45 to 60 years have got 2,59,979 doses and those above 60 years of age have got 2,09,728 doses so far,” he added.