VISAKHAPATNAM: After the initial Covid-19 vaccine hesitancy, it is now vaccine complacency that is affecting the ongoing mass inoculation drive in Andhra Pradesh.
Thousands of people in each district of Andhra Pradesh, who have completed their first dose and are due for their second shot, are not coming forward to complete their immunisation.
As per existing guidelines, the second dose of Covaxin should be given within four to six weeks from the date of first dose administration. For Covishield, the recommended interval between the doses is 12 to 16 weeks.
The decrease in daily infection numbers, case positivity rate and fatalities might have partly contributed to the trend of deferring vaccination. Corroborating this hypothesis is the low turnout being observed in areas that are witnessing a very low disease incidence. Medical professionals have warned that a single dose will only offer partial protection against the pandemic.
When TOI visited a vaccination centre in Visakhapatnam on Tuesday, the vaccinating staff complained that several people had crossed their due date for the second dose. “With the help of the local secretariat staff, we are sending reminders to or calling those who are due for their second shot,” they informed.
The Andhra Pradesh health department, in association with an NGO, has recently deployed 28 Tika Expresses (mobile vaccination vehicles) to reach out to residents of remote rural and tribal parts in every district. While some districts have been allocated three vehicles, each district has got two mobile vaccination centres.
State Covid-19 nodal officer and director, Visakha Institute of Medical Sciences, Dr Rambabu said skipping the second dose is almost equivalent to missing the entire vaccine schedule. “At a time when developed countries are looking forward to booster shots, we should at least complete the two-dose cycle to achieve maximum vaccine efficacy. The decreasing disease incidence should not give any scope for vaccine complacency. The health department is taking all measures to fully immunise the public against the pandemic, right from creating awareness and setting up vaccine centres in the villages to operating the Tika Expresses in the remote parts of the state,” said Dr Rambabu.
From a peak daily case positivity rate of 25% in May, the case positivity rate has remained under 3% for at least the last 70 days in Andhra Pradesh. In recent weeks, the case positivity has further dropped below the 2% mark.
