Pvt hospitals go slow on booster jabs even as covid cases increase
2 min read . Updated: 25 Apr 2023, 12:07 AM IST
PremiumBooster doses are free only for the elderly, and healthcare and frontline workers at government hospitals. All others have to buy the vaccines at ₹225 a shot at private hospitals.
New Delhi: Many leading private hospitals have stopped offering booster doses in response to a reluctance among the general public to take the jab despite a surge in cases of covid-19.
Booster doses are free only for the elderly, and healthcare and frontline workers at government hospitals. All others have to buy the vaccines at ₹225 a shot at private hospitals.
In India, almost the entire eligible population has received two doses. But out of them, only around 20% have taken the precautionary dose, prompting the government to issue a fresh call for people to take the third jab.
However, complacency has set in following persistent claims that Indians have built up ’hybrid immunity’—natural plus vaccine-generated immunity—against covid.
Currently, there are more than 65,000 active covid cases in the country and 16 people have died from it in the last 24 hours.
However, only 208 doses were administered in the last 24 hours.
Given large unused stocks and lack of demand, manufacturers Serum Institute of India and Bharat Biotech are unwilling to start a new production cycle, fearing wastage.
Recently, the union government urged private hospitals to directly procure these vaccines from the manufacturers.
Among large private hospitals, Mint has learnt that Max Hospitals is not offering booster doses in view of poor demand. Max Hospitals declined to comment on the matter.
A spokesperson for Fortis Hospital said, “There is no demand of the booster doses right now and in case if we see any requirement of vaccine, we will procure it accordingly."
An Apollo Hospitals spokesperson said, “Covovax is currently available at Apollo Hospitals and is suitable for individuals who have previously received either Covishield or Covaxin. Apollo Hospitals is sourcing covid-19 precautionary doses from SII. We have acquired 400 doses of Covovax, and we will continue to procure more in accordance with our requirements."
A person at SII said requesting anonymity, “We have a stock of around 6 million doses of Covovax. What we are observing right now is that hospitals are not procuring vaccines proactively. “
“There have been several requests for large scale supplies of INCOVACC. The capacity for INCOVACC is very large and can be scaled up as required. We will develop an antigen bank of 10 million doses, as a stockpile," said a Bharat Biotech official.