New Delhi, July 14:
A staggering 92% of Indians who are currently eligible for a third, or booster dose, of the Covid-19 vaccine have not yet taken these shots, data shows, highlighting the significance of Wednesday’s announcement of a national 75-day cost-free vaccination window.
In absolute numbers, nearly 594 million adults in India are now “late” for their so-called precaution shots, data furnished by the Union health ministry shows.
The statistics may have well paved the way for the Union cabinet’s Wednesday decision on a 75-day free vaccination window beginning July 15.
The move, which comes exactly 95 days after the government opened booster dose of vaccines against Covid-19 for all adults, is the second major policy announcement in recent days to push boosters among the masses. On July 6, the government announced a reduction in the gap between the second dose and booster dose from nine to six months.
But is there enough evidence to argue that reluctance to take booster doses will come down with free provision of vaccines?
A cursory look at data appears to suggest that it may work.
For those of age 60 years and above and frontline/health care workers, the booster shot is administered for free at government centres all over the country. Among these groups, a smaller share (compared to the 18-60 age group) has not shown up for boosters, data shows.
As things stand on July 12, only 35% of eligible among frontline workers, and 39% of eligible among healthcare workers had not taken their booster shot. But for the only general population group that is getting free shots (those above 60 years), this proportion is higher at 73% – suggesting that the strategy of free shots works, but may still need to be accompanied by other measures such as public awareness campaigns.
For the 18-45 age group, the booster absentee statistic is a whopping 98.8% of 360 million eligible people . This figure is similarly high (98% of 158.5 million eligible) in the 45-60 years age group.
To be sure, the proportion of those eligible but missing their boosters is bigger now than what it was before July 6 after the government reduced the required gap for taking a booster from nine months to six – making more than 350 million more people eligible for a booster shot overnight.
The government reduced this waiting period in line with scientific recommendation – studies that world over have suggested that protection from vaccines begins waning six months after a person receives the second dose.
At a nine-month gap, only 272 million people would be eligible for boosters on July 12 compared to 645 million who became eligible because of the reduced gap.
However, even tracking the people missing their boosters at a nine-month gap shows that the proportion of such people was increasing right up to the announcement of the special drive on Wednesday. On July 12, 81.24% were late for their boosters (accounting for a nine-month gap) compared to 81.04% on July 7.
Experts say that while the making the boosters free for all will help in reducing the extent of this problem, it needs to be accompanied with other measures.
“Maximal mask wearing, and maximal vaccination are two weapons we have. We can’t stop people from gathering any more. These two need to be used maximally and both these require constant reminders, constant messaging, constant assurance of the safety and need by somebody authoritative,” said Jacob John, former head of virology department, Christian Medical College, Vellore, explaining that people mistake two-dose vaccination to be the full course.
“CoWIN is a good idea, but a lot of people may not use smartphones… Anything that helps people – more messaging, asking employers to promote vaccination, asking transport associations – (should help),” he added.
