The bigger task before the health workers is to persuade the unvaccinated and partially vaccinated populations in Mysuru to take the shots and safeguard themselves from the virus which is spreading at a hurried pace.
Though there have been cases of vaccinated populations also getting infected, the severity of infection in such persons was low, the health officials here claim, advising those missing or delaying the jabs to rush to the nearest vaccination centers for getting themselves inoculated.
A week ago, the district administration had stated that Mysuru district has about 4.6 lakh persons due for their second dose and 90,000 eligible for the first dose but delaying the immunization. “The unvaccinated are at higher risk of getting infected since the current variant of Coronavirus is said to be highly contagious. As a doctor too, I am urging those who are yet to take the jabs or delaying the second dose, get themselves administered with the vaccines at the earliest,” according to Deputy Commissioner Bagadi Gautham.
At a time when booster doses are being administered, the vaccine hesitancy was still a concern amid the big jump in cases since the people, despite completing 84-day intervals from the first dose, are unnecessarily delaying the shots, risking their health with the onset of the third wave.
The district administration has clarified that there will be no force on anyone for taking the shots. But, the health workers will go to the doorsteps of everyone to ensure that the eligible populations in Mysuru district are fully vaccinated. “So far, the progress in vaccination is good and the district is very close to achieving the target in vaccination coverage. The unvaccinated and partially vaccinated people must understand the urgency and take the shots,” the officials said.
Sources in the Health Department said adequate vaccine doses are available in the district and efforts to vaccinate the remaining persons will be stepped up as the priority is now to keep the population safe with at least one dose of vaccine with an exponential spike in infection rate ahead of the peak.
One of the key priorities before the district administration is 100% vaccination as a strategy for tackling the third wave. Once this is achieved, it plans to focus on testing, with priority of getting the symptomatic compulsorily tested and ensuring that everybody wears the face mask for their safety.
