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A demand to roll out booster shots of COVID vaccines for frontline workers and vulnerable high-risk groups has been amplifying recently, as news of states and private players sitting on stockpiles of soon-to-expire vaccine doses spread. A Times of India report quoted National Covid Task Force member, Dr Subhash Salunkhe saying that those responsible for vaccination, need to draw up a strategy for immunisation for both — second vaccine dose receivers as well as those who should be administered booster shots — concurrently, instead of waiting for everyone to receive the second jab before administering of booster shots begin.
The vaccination drive has been ramped up through the availability of more vaccines, advanced visibility of vaccine availability to states and UTs for enabling better planning by them and streamlining the vaccine supply chain. More than 116.58 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses have been provided to states and UTs by the Centre so far, the Union Health Ministry said on Sunday. Over 15.77 crore balance and unutilised vaccine doses are still available with the states and UTs to be administered, it added. However, as the availability of vaccines has been ensured, a strange hesitancy has kept many away from taking their second vaccine, even though the prescribed waiting period after the first jab had long passed.
A TOI report states that even as the Centre monitors the national stockpile to ensure sufficient quantities are available for those eligible for second doses, under the circumstances, when many are not showing up to take their second jab, and states have vaccines that will expire soon if kept unutilised, there is a strong recommendation to allow boosters for the vulnerable population, as it will be “criminal negligence” to waste or let even a single dose expire.
According to Cowin data, it is possible to know the daily stocks, expiry date of vaccines and those eligible for second doses. Therefore, the Centre should take the crucial decision on this as a majority of doses will expire soon, Dr Subhash Salunkhe suggested.
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