Little over 96 per cent of the recipients of the second dose vaccination of Covid-19 have been avoiding their precaution dose in Palamu. More than 9.53 lakh eligibles (read 18 plus) have already taken their second dose of the vaccine against Covid - 19.
Their precaution dose is due or long overdue but these 96 per cent recipients of the second dose are avoiding precaution dose or third dose here in Palamu and there is none to bother for it as well.
Palamu district epidemiologist Dr Anup Kumar Singh said, "9,53,608 people are the recipients of the second dose. These people are of the age group 18 plus."
Dr Singh said the precaution dose is for these 9,53,608 people but as against it only 35,009 second dose takers have taken their precaution dose or say third dose vaccination in Palamu.
It is just 3.67 per cent of the precaution dose here which means little over 96 percent second dose takers are not coming up for their precaution dose.
The Palamu district epidemiologist said there is a kind of apathy among the people for the precaution dose. No one talks about it now anymore. Covid vaccination appears to be a thing of the past.
Dr Singh said we have been asking people not to avoid their precaution dose but it goes unheeded by them.
The district epidemiologist said our teams everywhere from the MMCH Daltonganj down to the community health centres are eagerly looking forward to people who have already taken their second dose of the vaccine to come and take their precaution dose.
The worst is not yet over here in Palamu. The ministry of health and family welfare government of India had announced free precaution dose vaccination for 75 days beginning June 15. This free vaccination of the precaution dose is for all 18 plus people and those who have already got their second jab. 69 days of this 75 days free precaution dose vaccination of Covid have gone till date and just 6 days left more when this free precaution dose vaccination will end if the ministry of health and family welfare government of India does not extend it any more.
Sources said everyone had thought that 18 plus all takers of the second dose vaccination of Covid will avail of this free precaution dose in its 75 days free offer plan but it is not so.
According to the Palamu district epidemiologist Dr Anup Kumar Singh only 24,792 people availed of this free precaution dose vaccination during this 75 days beginning June 15 to August 24 slot of free vaccination. This 24, 792 is part of the grand total of 35,009 recipients of the precaution dose here in Palamu.
Sources said the fault lies on both sides. The health officials too have lost zeal to get maximum Covid vaccination specially the precaution dose for various reasons like non payment of wages to the lower rung health personnel who worked hard during 2020 and 2021 Covid pandemic.
Again fewer cases of Covid in Jharkhand do not stir the memory or mind of the public for vaccination against Covid.
Today people talk about snake bite cases more than anything about the Covid whose horror and nightmare in 2020 and 2021 were just forgotten, said a civil society activist K K Singh.