On Wednesday (December 21), Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya asked people to follow Covid-appropriate behaviour, including wearing masks in crowded places and getting vaccinated. The government has indicated that it takes reports of recent increases in case counts in countries such as China, the United States, Brazil, Japan and South Korea seriously. Are people wearing masks in the country? Very few are, as everyone can see around the country. From March 24, 2020, onwards, the Ministry of Home Affairs had been issuing orders and guidelines for the containment of Covid-19 — including the wearing of masks — through the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), drawing its powers from the Disaster Management (DM) Act, 2005. With the revocation of the DM Act with effect from April 1 this year, wearing of masks can no longer be legally enforced. So is the Covid-19 pandemic over, then? People are still getting the disease in India, even though the incidence of infections is now very low. As of Thursday morning, there were only 3,402 active cases in the country, according to the Covid-19 dashboard on the home page of the Ministry of Health. The bulk of these cases was in Kerala (1,438) and Karnataka (1,263). One must, however, take note of the fact that these are confirmed cases — that is, those who have been found positive for the coronavirus in an RT-PCR test. Testing levels are not high at the moment — also, there may be people carrying the virus without having tested for it or even being aware that they are infected; and there may be those who have tested at home through a rapid antigen kit. None of these individuals will be captured by the data. If the end of the pandemic were to be defined by the end of the ability of the virus to disrupt normal life, the pandemic can indeed be said to have ended — for now — in most countries, including India. Most common people seem to no longer fear getting the disease; however, as the government has been repeatedly warning, it is a bad idea to become complacent. What about vaccinations in India? The vaccination coverage in the country has been pretty comprehensive. As of noon on December 22, the live dashboard on the Co-Win website was showing more than 220 crore shots have been administered, including 102.71 crore first doses, 95.10 crore second doses, and 22.19 crore “precaution” or booster doses. A large number of first and second doses means almost every Indian above the age of 12 has been double vaccinated. However, the coverage of the precautionary dose has been inadequate, a reflection of the absence of fear among the people, lower case numbers, and virtually zero new deaths from the disease. What is the precautionary dose? It is essentially the same as a booster — a third dose of the vaccine that is administered to boost potentially flagging immunity against the virus. Countries around the world acknowledge that vaccine immunity wanes over time, increasing the individual’s vulnerability to the disease. The precaution dose was first rolled out on January 10 this year for three priority groups — healthcare workers, frontline workers, and those above the age of 60 years who have co-morbidities. Subsequently, from April 10, the government allowed everyone who is 18 or older to take the booster shot. Should you take the precautionary dose? If you haven’t yet, you most certainly should! If you need to convince yourself of the need for it, perhaps you could look at the recent spike in China and other countries as a good reason. The government has been asking people to come forward for the precautionary dose, and it held a “Covid Vaccination Amrit Mahotsav” to administer free boosters to all central government employees from July 15 to September 30 this year. What is the process for taking the precautionary dose? The same as the one by which you got the first two doses — through the CoWIN portal. Anyone who is 18 or older, and has had two shots of the Covid-19 vaccine, is eligible. But the precautionary dose can be taken only after six months after the second jab. If you are going abroad within less than six months of being jabbed for the second time, and if the destination country requires you to be boosted, this gap can be reduced by up to three months. The precautionary doses are available at any government or private vaccination centre, and is free at government vaccination centres. You should find the most convenient location — private or government — using the drop-down menu on the CoWIN website by district or PIN code, and book your slot using the same mobile number that you used for the first two doses of the vaccine. You should also use the same ID (Aadhaar, PAN, etc.) that you used earlier. Should you take a fourth shot of the vaccine if you are already both double vaccinated and boosted? A fourth shot is not allowed in India yet. The government defines “fully vaccinated” as two doses of the vaccine, and the precautionary dose is in addition to being fully vaccinated. The Covid-19 vaccination is a closely monitored process that identifies every individual through the centralised CoWIN platform, and there is no provision for a fourth dose in the system.
