April 18, 2026

Gap Reduction For Booster Dose Is Welcome

By Our Editorial Team
First publised on 2022-07-09 07:30:34

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It is good that the Union health ministry has reduced the gap between the second and third (booster) dose of the Covid vaccine to 60 days from 90 days. This is in line with emerging evidence that the effects of the vaccine start waning after 60 days. But just reducing the gap, apart from making more people eligible to take the booster dose, will achieve little in the absence of a concerted drive to administer the booster dose to eligible citizens. There has been inexplicable laxity in giving the booster dose. The government must also look at mix-and-match booster doses and start planning for the fourth dose. This assumes greater importance now as Covid has started rearing its head once again in several parts of the country. Low vaccination, coupled with the complete absence of following Covid norms, will be dangerous. Vaccines are available in abundance, the price has been reduced substantially and senior citizens are being given the dose free. But since both the Centre and the states have shown a lack of urgency, the vaccination drive has petered out.

Statistics show that less than 31 percent of senior citizens have received the booster dose and, alarmingly, less than 1 percent in the age group of 18-59 has received it nationally. It seems that the people have already forgotten the horrors of the second wave and complacency has set in. Already, there has been an alarming upsurge in fresh Covid cases in some states. More alarmingly, the positivity rate is also creeping up. People need to be made aware that despite the fact that the virus is known to penetrate the vaccine shield it still prevents serious illness due to Covid.  They also need to be made aware that masking up in public, sanitizing their hands frequently, staying at home if they have any Covid symptoms (preferably isolating themselves for a week and getting tested for Covid) and avoiding crowded places are things they should still be doing. The pandemic has receded; it has not gone away completely. Any complacency is going to once again put undue pressure on the health infrastructure of the country and a large number of citizens will suffer.