NEW DELHI: Over a month after the 'Har Ghar Dastak 2.0' campaign was launched, the Centre's drive to boost Covid-19 vaccination in Delhi has resulted only in 1,75,803 precaution doses being administered. In all, 9,30,274 households have been covered under the campaign so far.
Two lakh twenty two thousand nine hundred twelve people were found to be eligible for the precaution dose and of them 1,75,803 agreed to get the jab.
According to officials in the health wing of the Delhi government, people are avoiding getting the precaution dose as they have become careless and relaxed following the fall in number of daily Covid-19 cases and with Covid cases now being less severe.
"Covid norms have been relaxed by the Centre and state government due to which laxity has been observed when it comes to the number of daily vaccinations," said an official with the state health authority. He emphasised that according to several studies it has been reported that booster shots have helped many health workers avoid severe Covid.
"This time when the number of daily cases increased, a number of patients were also admitted on ventilator beds and those patients without booster doses were the worst affected," said another official in the health wing.
He, however, added that the 'Har Ghar Dastak 2.0' campaign has helped increase the tally of second doses.
"Many of those whom we visited were not at their respective homes and later went to the dedicated Covid vaccination camps after we made a request and got the dose. A number of them are also not eligible to get the vaccine due to the difference in time period of the three shots," he observed.
Another official said the focus is now on the 12-18 age group where fewer second doses and booster shots have been given. "In the 12-18 age group, 82,133 were found to be due and out of which we jabbed 54,022."
Officials said that the state government is now focussing more on schools to give attention to the 12-18 age group.
As per official data, a total of 17,15,755 people have been given the precaution dose in the city till July 6.