40% of 1.2L eligible for free booster dose yet to take it

Panaji: Additional efforts by the health services to encourage the 60+ population to receive booster doses has met with a lukewarm response.
“Over 48,000 people — healthcare workers, frontline workers and those over 60 — are yet to take precautionary doses,” Dr Rajendra Borkar, state immunisation officer, told TOI. of the eligible population of 1.24 lakh, just 75,370 have taken the booster, according to data released by the directorate of health services.
A month ago, DHS extended working hours and kept centres open till 8pm to allow working people to take their boosters, but the daily average has been just 800 doses. Taking an elderly family member to the centre for a shot would also be easier after returning home from work in the evening.
Borkar said they are hoping that their intensified efforts will bring more people to the health centres. “The response is still poor, but it is an all India phenomena,” said Borkar.
The response to vaccination had picked up after the second wave had set in and the state started seeing a rise in Covid-related mortalities.
Considering that infections are growing, he said, people should take precautionary doses. “We had deaths last month,” he added.
The Covid vaccine is available at seven hospitals for people who don't fall in any of the categories that are eligible for free precautionary doses.
Vaccination of two categories of school children —12 to 14 and 15 to 17 age group—is also yet to be completed.
Around 50% of children in the 12-14 age group are yet to be vaccinated. So far 81.6% (60,386) of children in all categories have been fully vaccinated.
There have been delays in completing vaccination of school children of the two categories due to the reluctance of parents. However, health services intend to finish vaccinating students as early as possible.