Hyderabad: Following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement on December 25, that persons over 60 years with comorbidities will be given a precaution dose starting on January 10 next year, it is expected that around 25 lakh people in this group will require a precaution dose in Telangana state.
The precautionary dose is given saying that they may be at a higher risk of contracting infection in case there is a surge of infection, in the wake of threat from the Omicron variant.
The precaution dose denotes a third dose of the vaccine for the fully vaccinated but Prime Minister refrained from using the term “booster dose”, as it is generally referred.
In the state, about 65 lakh doses of vaccine (including the first and second doses) have been administered to individuals over the age of 60. The individuals in this age group are either not vaccinated at all or partially vaccinated, thats why very less number of individuals are eligible for the precautionary dose.
The Times of India reported, according to a top source in the health department, “about 20 lakh to 25 lakh persons in this age group may require the precautionary dose.”
The Prime minister also announced that vaccination for children between the age of 15 years to 18 years, will start in the country on January 3, 2022.
Nearly 30 lakh extra persons in the 15-to-18-year-old age bracket would be added to the state’s projected population. “We need more clarification from the central government on this,” an official said. “Only then will we be able to generate the exact targeted figures.”
With approximately 2.76 crore first doses administered, the state is on the cusp of reaching 100 percent vaccination, with a few districts exceeding expectations. The entire eligible target population for the state was 2.7 crore individuals. Health authorities have been visiting individuals for vaccinating them who failed to get themselves even a single jab.