Covid-19: Pace of administering precautionary doses declines in Delhi

The number of precautionary doses of Coronavirus has dropped considerably in the national capital for the past few days. As per the latest data, only 10862 beneficiaries were administered the precautionary dose on Friday. On an average this week only 14k beneficiaries were administered the third precautionary dose per day in the national capital. It is significant to understand that the weekly average of Coronavirus doses administered in the national capital for the preceding week was 21k per day. The trend is significant as it shows that the enthusiasm among the Delhi residents to get vaccinated with the third precautionary dose is declining, the Indian Express report reported.

Overall, the total number of precautionary doses administered in the national capital has reached 2 lakh since the government opened up the facility of precautionary dose 12 days ago. The precautionary dose facility was opened up for healthcare workers, frontline workers and senior citizens above the age of 60 and those suffering from comorbidities. So far as the total eligible population in the city is concerned, the precautionary vaccination has only been administered to 20.6 % of the eligible population.

It is also significant to note that the precautionary dose vaccination at the national level is being conducted at a steady pace as about 63 percent of the 35 lakh health workers have already been inoculated with the Coronavirus vaccine. Similarly, 58 percent of the 33 lakh frontline workers have also been administered the third dose nationally. Also, 39 percent of the eligible senior citizen population nationally has been administered the third precautionary dose.

Even as precautionary vaccination has seen a decline recently, the vaccination among children between the age of 15 and 17 is moving at a brisk pace as Delhi has already jabbed 7.27 lakh children so far since the drive started on January 3 this year. As per the available data more than 70 percent eligible children have been administered the first dose of Coronavirus vaccine which is substantially higher than the national average of 52 per cent.

It is significant to underscore the role played by vaccination in the country that has kept the third wave of Coronavirus wave in check with those contracting the disease only experiencing mild symptoms. The central government had said that substantial reach of vaccines in all parts of the country had led to a decrease not only in the spread of the third wave but also in the severity of the Omicron variant.