Precautionary vaccine jabs rolled out, 9.6 lakh get 3rd dose on Day 1

The vulnerable population, also including personnel deployed for election duty, will get a “precautionary jab” of the same vaccine they took 39 weeks ago, the government has said. Slots are booked using existing CoWin accounts.

By: Express News Service

New Delhi | Updated: January 11, 2022 01:54 AM IST

3 min read

J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha gets a precautionary dose of Covid-19 vaccine at Government District Hospital in Gandhi Nagar, Jammu, on Monday. (Express Photo)

As India rolled out the precautionary dose of Covid-19 vaccines to three priority groups — the elderly with comorbidities, healthcare workers, and frontline workers — 9.68 lakh people were administered the third dose across the country on Monday.

India’s active caseload touched 7.23 lakh cases on the day, and the Health Ministry wrote to states that the need for hospitalisation “may also change rapidly”.

Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said that 5-10% active cases have needed hospitalisation so far in the present surge, compared to 20-23% hospitalisation seen in the second surge last year in May.

Bhushan iterated that “augmenting human resources”, particularly healthcare workers, “assumes critical importance”.

Senior citizens get vaccinated in Ward 5 Market Char Rasta in Vadodara on Monday. (Express photo by Bhupendra Rana)

The communication came a day after the ministry told the states to utilise services of MBBS students, interns, senior residents, junior residents as well third and fourth-year BSc nursing students.

The drive to administer Covid-19 precaution dose for healthcare workers, frontline workers and persons aged above 60 with comorbidities kickstarted on Monday.(Express photo by Nirmal Harindran)

Bhushan wrote: “The situation is dynamic and evolving, the need for hospitalization may also change rapidly. All states are advised to keep a daily watch on the situation of the total number of active cases, cases under home isolation, number of hospitalised cases, cases on oxygen beds, ICU beds, and ventilatory support. Based on this monitoring, the requirement of healthcare workers…must be also reviewed on a daily basis.”

There would be no mix-and-match of vaccines for the precaution dose. The beneficiaries would be given the same vaccine as their previous two jabs. (Express photo by Arul Horizon)

Bhushan pointed out that it is “important to conserve health workers by initiating staggering, wherever possible, and by restricting elective procedures in the hospitals”.

The countrywide COVID-19 vaccination drive was rolled out on January 16 last year with healthcare workers getting inoculated in the first phase. The vaccination of frontline workers started from February 2. (Express photo by Bhupendra Rana)

Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya reviewed public health preparedness to Covid-19 in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Goa, Dadra & Naagr Haveli, and Daman & Diu.

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