A health worker administers a dose of the Covid-19 vaccine to a student at a vaccination centre in Bangali School, Mandir Marg. (Express Photo: Amit Mehra) Delhi administered just over 2,700 Covid-19 shots on Sunday, taking the total daily shots lower still, according to data. Officials have said that the drop in the number of people getting immunised in February and March is because Delhi has reached a saturation level in the eligible population.
The numbers have been sliding since February, with over 98,000 shots being given just a month ago.
Almost 100 per cent of Delhi residents over the age of 18 years have received their first shot, while over 85 per cent have received the second dose. Almost 80 per cent of children between the ages of 15 and 18 years have also received their shots. The only group where the uptake remains low is the precaution doses.
So far, more than 444,000 people have received their precaution doses out of 240,000 healthcare workers, 350,000 frontline workers, and an estimated 380,000 people over the age of 60 years with co-morbidities who are eligible for the precaution dose in Delhi.
“We have already immunised almost all of the population, now those who remain are the ones who were hesitant, to begin with, so it will take time to convince them,” said a senior official from Delhi’s health department. With the cases of Covid-19 reducing fewer people are turning up to the vaccination centres in Delhi.
Those above the age of 60 with comorbidities have a 15 times higher risk of getting a breakthrough Covid-19 infection — contracting the virus after hospitalisation — and are 10 times more likely to get hospitalised, a pre-print study by the public health department of Tamil Nadu revealed, proving the need for booster doses for these vulnerable people.
“It clearly shows that age and comorbidities are significant risk factors for a breakthrough infection and hospitalisation. Unfortunately, this group is not coming forward to take the precautionary doses. The 60+ age group is a challenge, but they are the ones who need it. They keep saying that they don’t want another shot, maybe because they have already taken one or two doses, or because Covid-19 cases have been dipping around the country,” said Dr K T S Selvavinayagam, the director of Tamil Nadu’s public health and preventive medicine department.
The number of children getting immunised had picked up in January end and the first week of February because they become eligible for the second dose. According to government officials, all eligible children have received their first dose but only about half have received the second jab. But the pace of the second dose is not as fast as the first dose owing to approaching final exams.
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