Nearly 96 lakh persons are due for their second dose of COVID-19 vaccines in Tamil Nadu. With nearly 59% of the eligible population fully vaccinated so far, the Health Department wants to improve the pace, especially because of the surge in fresh infections and the emergence of the Omicron variant of the novel coronavirus.
Right now, 86% of the State’s eligible population — 5,78,91,000 persons — have received at least one dose. As on December 29, 80,85,218 persons were due for the first dose and 96,71,007 persons for the second dose. One of the areas of concern was the low vaccination levels among the elderly. Among all age groups, the elderly continued to account for the lowest coverage.
While 61% of the targeted 1,04,19,000 senior citizens have received the first dose, only 44% have been fully vaccinated. On the contrary, 95% of the population aged 45-59-have received the first dose and 72% have been fully vaccinated. The category of 18-44 years accounted for the first dose coverage of 81% and the second dose coverage of 51%.
A challenge
Noting that the vaccination of the elderly was the challenge, Director of Public Health and Preventive Medicine T.S. Selvavinayagam said, “Considering their age and probable co-morbidities, the 60-plus population are prone to additional/excessive mortality. So we request all to convince their 60-plus-old parents, relatives and friends to get vaccinated.” The Health Department wants to accelerate the pace of vaccination, and has been urging people to come forward. “Getting both doses is important,” he said.
“The reality is that creating a wall of population immunity is the best deterrent against the third wave caused by Omicron. Worldwide, they are trying to do this,” said T. Jacob John, retired professor of virology, Christian Medical College, Vellore.
People should know why they should take the second dose, he said, stressing the need for good messaging. “Tell people the importance of the second dose, particularly in the light of Omicron. Teach people the details. There are no concerted efforts to do this. This information-deficiency is the cause of the reluctance to get the second dose,” he said.
He said that in all two-dose vaccines, there was clear evidence that a person would not be protected with the first dose. Vaccine-induced protection would kick in with the second dose. Even if delayed, the second dose would remain the second dose.
E. Theranirajan, Dean, Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital, said the second dose would help to achieve immunological response, resulting in more antibody production. “Even now, in patients who test positive for COVID-19, we are seeing fully vaccinated persons being asymptomatic. Vaccination prevents severity of the disease. If we want to prevent mortality, vaccination is the only solution,” he said.
