THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With the state facing a shortage of Covid-19 vaccine, plans are on to give priority to people awaiting the second dose once the new vaccine consignment arrives in the district, says highly placed officials in the health department.“We expect that there will be 2.5 lakh doses in the consignment, which will arrive in the capital on Wednesday. There will be no delay and those awaiting the second dose can be covered in a week,” said a top health official.
Vaccination for those above 60 years had begun on March 1, and recently, the ambit was expanded to include the 45-plus age group. With more people opting to get vaccinated, a shortage of vaccine doses was felt. The situation aggravated with the steep rise in the Covid cases, which saw a huge number of people turning up for vaccination.
Many people who were in line for the second dose couldn’t get the vaccine as several centres couldn’t operate due to the shortage.Dr Vijayakrishnan G S, state president of Kerala Government Medical Officers’ Association (KGMOA), said a slight delay in receiving the second dose won’t cause any issue.
“In the case of Covishield vaccine, the minimum interval for taking the second dose is 42 days. It doesn’t mean you have to take it by 42nd day. Earlier, the gap was lesser, but studies have proven that larger interval is good and more effective. The second dose needs to be taken within three months. Even for those who have taken the first dose on March 1, it has just been over 50 days. And they still have another one or two weeks more to take the second jab. By then, we will get enough vaccines to cover everyone,” says Dr Vijayakrishnan.
“With a single dose, people will get some immunity. The second dose will give us the desired level of immunity. So there is no need of any apprehensions among people who are waiting for the second dose,” he said.
Indian Medical Association (IMA) state secretary Dr Gopikumar P said a delay of two months to get the second dose wouldn’t cause any complications. “Since people in the age group of 45-plus started taking vaccines, the first section of the population we prioritised -- those above the age of 60 years -- are due for their second dose. Their waiting period is increasing. Earlier, the second dose was scheduled after 28 days but later studies
suggested that the vaccination efficacy is more if it is taken between 42 and 56 days. So a slight delay wouldn’t be a problem. One can wait for two months,” says Dr Gopikumar.He further said with the first dosage, the immunity level rises to 50-60 per cent and the second dose boosts the immunity. “In a week, the vaccine shortage is expected to be addressed,” he said.
But Dr Gopikumar cautioned the need to maintain strict Covid-19 protocol at vaccination centres.
“There is a steep rise in the number of people arriving at vaccination centres. The camps are packed to an extent that police needed to be roped in to maintain order. The greatest danger is that these places could turn into high-risk areas for Covid spread. In the second wave, crowded places will exacerbate the spread of the disease and we need to ensure that social distancing is strictly followed at these centres,” he added.
RESPONSE TO VACCINATION DRIVE SOARS
Vaccination for those above 60 years had begun on March 1, and recently, the ambit was expanded to include the 45-plus age group. With more people opting to get vaccinated, a shortage of vaccine doses was felt. The situation aggravated with the steep rise in the Covid cases, which saw a huge number of people turning up for vaccination.