The Department of Health and Family Welfare on Saturday said it has received a directive on the administration of booster doses for the 18-plus population and the same will begin in private hospitals from Sunday.
District Health Officer K. H. Prasad said the doses are available for a price at the private centres. As of now the PHCs and government hospitals are in the process of administering booster doses for senior citizens and frontline workers. “The doses will be available in phases even in the PHCs for the 18-plus population,” he added.
“The private hospitals have purchased the vaccines and are awaiting directions from the government for administering the doses. The order has been issued and the hospitals can start giving the doses from Sunday,” he added.
He said the booster doses as mandated by the Centre earlier were being administered daily.
As many as 4.78 lakh beneficiaries were identified for administering the precautionary dose in Mysuru district. About 1.99 lakh persons were eligible in Mysuru city alone. Those aged above 60 years and have completed nine months from the date of second dose are eligible. The vaccine will be the same as was administered during the first and second doses.
The Department of Health and Family Welfare identified 4,78,972 beneficiaries and the taluk-wise beneficiaries were – Mysuru rural 41,237, Mysuru urban 1,99,034, T. Narsipur 40,087, Nanjangud 53,547, Hunsur 39,302, H.D. Kote 37,067, Periyapatna 33,717 and K.R. Nagar 34,981.
The staff from the departments of health, rural development and panchayat raj and urban development, who are among those identified as frontline workers, also get the booster dose. In the case of children in the 12-14 age group, the Corbevax vaccine is being administered. The gap between the first and second dose is 28 days. Covaxin was administered to the 15-18 age group population.
In Mysuru district, 1,12,528 children aged between 12 and 14 years were identified for the vaccination. Children born on or before March 15, 2010 were eligible for the doses. Over 26 lakh first dose has been administered in the district which has achieved over 96 per cent progress in the second dose.
