The number of people who have skipped the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine despite completing the prescribed time interval is rapidly climbing. Until October 10, the figure stood at 25 lakh. Now, just about 10 days later, the number stands at a little over 36 lakh.
Of the State’s total population of 4.1 crore, around 2.77 crore above the age of 18 years are eligible for the vaccine. The inoculation drive was launched on January 16 this year.
Till October 19, around 2.06 crore beneficiaries had taken the first dose and 81.01 lakh the second dose.
So, around 69 lakh eligible population in the State are yet to take the first dose, and 36 lakh people who took the first jab have skipped the second one.
Director of Public Health G. Srinivasa Rao said that out of the total COVID-19 cases reported, around 60% patients are unvaccinated, 30% are partially vaccinated, and only 5-10% are fully vaccinated. The senior health official said that chances of hospitalisation, COVID severity and death is low among the people who are fully vaccinated (have taken both doses of the vaccine).
Besides, Dr Srinivasa Rao said, development of antibodies is not effective if people skip the second shot.
The time interval between first and second dose of Covishield has been reduced to 12 weeks, from 14 to 18 weeks, The second dose of Covaxin has to be taken after four weeks of the first one. The Sputnik V vaccine is administered in two doses at a gap of 21 days
Among the 33 districts in the State, more than 50% of first dose recipients took the second dose in only the three urban districts — Hyderabad, Rangareddy, and Medchal-Malkajgiri.
The lowest percentage of second dose coverage is in Narayanpet, Kumaram Bheem Asifabad, Adilabad, and Jogulamba-Gadwal.
