COVID-19

No centre for precautionary dose vaccination for 18-59 years in Manipur yet

COVID vaccines in stock are about to expire as people in 18-59 years age group are not coming forward for the third or precautionary dose of COVID vaccine, which are to be administered in private hospitals, Health director Dr Rajo said.

ByIFP Bureau

Updated 10 Jul 2022, 6:05 am

(Photo: IFP)
(Photo: IFP)

 

Manipur Health Services director Dr Rajo on Friday said the state is yet to open COVID-19 vaccination centres, particularly for inoculation of precautionary dose or third dose for age 18 to 59 years.

This is despite the fact that the Centre had reduced the gap between precautionary dose and second dose vaccination from nine months to six months, Dr Rajo said while replying to a media query at the Board Room of the Directorate of Health Service, Lamphel on Friday.

Precautionary doses for above 60 years of age, healthcare workers and frontline workers can be given free of cost in government and private hospitals, he said.

However, as per norms of the government of India, precautionary dose or third dose for those between 18 to 59 years should be administered in a paid system in private hospitals, he added.

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Some states, like in Delhi, precautionary dose for 18 and above years age group is administered free of cost.

However, no private hospitals in the state have started taking up any initiative of vaccine procurement as the people are not coming forward for booster doses, Dr Rajo said.

On many occasions, the state government had requested to kick start the third dose vaccination in the government hospital as many Covishield vaccines in the stock are also about to expire, he said.

However, the ministry declined their proposal, he added.

In June, COVID-19 cases were reduced to zero for some days, but now the state has been witnessing a steady rise. In the last one week, the positive cases have been rising gradually, he said.

The number of positive cases reported on July 1 was four, seven on July 2, rose to 16 on July 3; on July 4 it was 9; 17 on July 5 and 22 each on July 6 and July 7. And out of the total tests carried out, 73 per cent of the cases are symptomatic, 9 per cent are hospitalised and 91 are in home isolation, the director informed.

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Dr Rajo also informed that that most of the persons are infected by Omicron variant as the variant seems to be highly transmissible but less severe and majority of patients are mild. Just one patient, who happens to be a drug user, is in the ICU at present, he added.

As per report of the directorate, the total number of COVID-19 infected person from June 20 to till July 8 is 122, out of which, number of infected persons, aged between 0 to 5 is three, 6 to 15 years is nine, 16 to 60 years is 91 and 60 years above is 55.

The figure shows that even children are affected, he said while informing that Imphal West and Imphal East are the districts with highest infection. After these two districts, it is followed by Thoubal, Chandel, Kakching, Bishnupur, Ukhrul, Senapati and Churachandpur, he informed.

Rajo said that in view of the rising COVID-19 cases in the state, all necessary steps have been taken up to face any kind of eventuality like testing and screening at entry point, that all COVID Care Centres can be revived at any time and that the state has enough number of PPEs, ambulance etc.

The COVID-19 vaccination rate has been reducing for the past few months, Dr Rajo said, adding that people have started neglecting COVID-19 Appropriate Behaviour.

Pointing out that with the reduction of cases, people tend to behave in a relaxing mood which resulted in the rising case, Dr Rajo urged the to people constantly follow CAB and vaccinate or else the situation could be critical like in previous waves.
 

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covid-19 vaccinecovid-19 vaccinationprecautionary dosecovid vaccination centrecovid-19 booster dose

IFP Bureau

IFP Bureau

IMPHAL, Manipur

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