A health worker administers a Covid-19 dose to a man in Patiala on Friday. Tribune photo: Rajesh Sachar
Patiala, July 29
Though Covid cases continue to rise in the district, eligible beneficiaries are not coming forward to take precautionary (booster) dose. The data of the Health Department revealed that only 10.7 per cent of the eligible beneficiaries in the district have received the precautionary doses so far.
As many as 7.03 lakh beneficiaries have skipped their precautionary doses in the district. Health officials said only 75,000 precautionary doses had been administered in the district so far. Health officials and pandemic experts said more people should come forward to take the precautionary dose.
District immunisation officer Dr Veenu Goyal claimed that pendency of precautionary doses rose because the Central Government reduced the gap period between the precautionary dose and the second dose of the Covid vaccine.
Notably, the Union Health Ministry this month reduced the gap between the second dose and the precautionary dose from nine months to six months for all adults.
Dr Veenu said: “There is no let-up in vaccination camps. We are holding camps on a regular basis. Besides, staff members are trying to persuade the eligible beneficiaries to get the precautionary dose, which is important.”
She said other stakeholder departments were also being roped in to enhance the booster dose coverage in the district.
Meanwhile, the health officials said beneficiaries were reluctant to get the vaccine shot because they had already become complacent about Covid. They were facing strong opposition from eligible beneficiaries in the district.
Meanwhile, the Patiala Health Department today administered only 1,576 vaccine shots in the entire district. Of the 1,576 beneficiaries, 96 were given with the first dose, while 594 got their second dose of the Covid vaccine. Health officials said 886 persons were given the precautionary dose.
Tribune Shorts
Most Read
Don't Miss
View All
Top News
Nitish Kumar dumps BJP in Bihar to pave way for 'Mahagathbandhan 2.0' with RJD as largest party and key player
JD-U supremo to take oath as CM on Wednesday; BJP cries ‘bet...
Nitish Kumar as Opposition's PM candidate in 2024? Many wary of his 'U-turns'
RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav had derisively named Kumar as ‘pal...
All in a day: Timeline for Bihar's change of government
MPs, MLAs of RJD and JD(U) held parallel meetings
No woman in 20-member cabinet as Maharashtra CM Shinde expands 41-day-old ministry
18 MLAs, including state BJP president Chandrakant Patil, we...
PM Modi's total assets rise by Rs 26 lakh to Rs 2.23 crore; land-holding donated
He has no investment in any bond, share or mutual funds, doe...
