Covid-19: Less than 2% of adults have taken third jab in Pune

PUNE: Just over 95,000 adults have so far taken a Covid booster in Pune district, a report from the health department has said. In total, the district has 48 lakh people in the 18-44 category and another 18 lakh in the 45-59 group.
The report added that booster uptake has been particularly low in rural Pune, where less than 10,000 adults have taken the shot, out of 28 lakh eligible beneficiaries. In Pimpri Chinchwad, 20,000 people have taken the booster. In Pune city, the number is at 64,000.
Experts said a casual approach towards Covid and the fact that people in these age groups have to pay for the booster have impacted coverage. Only those over 60 years of age can get free boosters shots.
Dr Sanjay Patil, chairperson of the IMA's Hospital Board of India, Pune chapter, said booster jabs are the need of the hour, considering the recent rise in the cases.
He said, "Vaccine drives that were started last year by companies need to be repeated. There were so many tie-ups with hospitals, even when prices of Covishield and Covaxin were high. Now that all prices have dropped to Rs 386, it should not be a problem."