Over 5 lakh in Bengaluru have skipped second Covid vaccine dose

BENGALURU: Over 5 lakh people have skipped their second dose in Bengaluru. This has become a matter of worry for the health department and BBMP officials, who have started calling up people and even visiting their homes to take them to vaccination camps. 

On the recommendation of the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC), officials have requested the government to issue an order, similar to other states, banning the entry of citizens who have not taken the second dose, in public places and also their workplace. They have also requested that orders be issued that no free treatment will be given to those who have skipped their second dose. 

BBMP Special Commissioner KV Thrilok Chandra told TNIE that as of last week, around 6 lakh people were due for the second dose. “We started approaching homes and making aggressive calls. In one week, 1.5 lakh people were covered People reason that there is no need to take the vaccine as cases are coming down. Others cite side-effects,” he said. 

Healthcare workers, staffers at primary health centres and Covid-19 war rooms have been ordered to track people who have taken their first dose, and make calls to them to take the second dose, BBMP Chief Commissioner Gaurav Gupta said. Only 58 per cent people have taken the second dose -- for some, there is still time between the first and second dose, while others have overshot the second dose date deadline. 

Gupta added that since Covid-19 has not ended, anyone with Covid-like symptoms must come forward and get themselves tested. He asserted that wearing a mask is mandatory, though many have stopped masking up. It has also been observed that many people have started neglecting their health and are not taking the right treatment.