Anti-Covid booster doses begin for frontline workers, senior citizens
Covid booster doses begin for frontline workers, senior citizens
New Delhi, Jan. 10 (Delhi Crown): Frontline workers, healthcare professionals and senior citizens were being given precautionary anti-Covid-19 vaccine doses on Monday as part of a central government-initiated plan.
Of particular interest to the government is the need to vaccinate those above the age of 60 with comorbidities and children aged between 15 and 17.
The need for administering the precautionary dose has arisen in the wake of the fast-spreading Omicron variant of Covid-19. In the week gone by, a six-fold rise in infections has been reported across the country.
As on Monday, India reported 179,723 new cases, with a majority occurring in Chennai, Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai. According to health ministry data, the Omicron variant has overtaken Delta as the most prevalent strain of the virus.
Senior citizens visiting Delhi’s Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital to take the vaccine dose said they were feeling fine after taking it and not experiencing any side effects.
The fresh vaccination drive has been launched across the country in the wake of the Omicron variant causing infections to hundreds of people.
During the current drive, the government has issued instructions that there should not be mixing or matching of vaccines, meaning that those who received either Covishield or Covaxin dose, will be given the same vaccine as the third dose.
Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya took to Twitter on Monday to state that the government is committed to treating and protecting healthcare and frontline workers against the virus on priority. As per available government data, about 67 percent of the country’s 939 million adults have received both doses.
