People are also now moving towards the booster dose of Covid vaccination, and experts have advised that it is only wise to get the dose. (PTI/File) With a steady decline in the number of Covid cases, there has also been an ease in restrictions pertaining to Covid. People are also now moving towards the booster dose of Covid vaccination, and experts have advised that it is only wise to get the dose.
“Considering the fact that vaccination protects from Covid-19 disease severity, hospitalisation and death among patients, it is wise to get the booster dose after nine months of completion of two doses of Covid-19 vaccination. It is seen that immune response wanes off with time in about 9-12 months’ time which should be boosted up with another dose. There is evidence that since Covid vaccines also induce cell mediated immunity and offer cross-protective immunity against different variants of virus, the dose may provide protection in the subsequent waves,” said Prof Madhu Gupta, Department of Community Medicine and School of Public Health, PGI and Principal Investigator for the clinical trials of the Oxford Covid-19 vaccine at the institute.
As many as seven private hospitals began the drive of administering the precautionary Covid-19 vaccine to all those above the age of 18 from April 10 onwards. All those who have completed nine months after receiving the second dose are eligible.
Bedi Hospital, Sector 33, Healing Hospital, Sector 34, Chandigarh City Hospital, Santokh Hospital, Sector 38, Jindal IVF Memorial, Sector 20 D, Chaitanya Hospital, Sector 44 and Cloudnine Hospital Industrial Area, Phase II, presently have a stock of 1,700 doses, including Covishield and Covaxin vaccine. According to Dr Suman Singh, Director Health Services, the booster dose is important and the private hospitals can buy more stock from the central government, once the doses are over.
The cost of a booster dose at private hospitals is Rs 380.
According to Dr Ramneek Bedi, Advisor, World Medical Association, the vaccination programme of booster dose has started for people above 18 years and both on-the-spot and through online registration. But, at the moment, only 15 to 20 people are getting the dose in a day. “The number may increase in the coming days. At present the cases are fewer, and so are the numbers. Many have also not completed nine months after the second dose,” said Dr Bedi.
“The booster dose should be taken by all as immunity generated by the second dose wanes. In some countries a second booster is also being considered. The only group which has not yet been cleared for boosters is young children (age limit varies). Serum Institute of India has suggested that booster dose should be given six months after the second dose instead of nine months,” said Prof Rakesh Kochhar, former head, Department of Gastroenterology, PGI.
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