Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, Jan 19: As the Covid-19 positive cases are moving on an upward curve in the Dakshina Kannada district, there is also an increase in the number of people rushing to get vaccinated. The health department officials reveal that during the last few days, there has been a considerable increase in the people willing to take the jabs.

Out of the first dose vaccination target of 18.16 lac set for the district as a whole, 17.17 lac has been achieved. The first dose progress stands at 96 percent. As many as 13.67 lac people have taken the second dose which accounts for 82 percent progress.

There has been some progress in the third dose also recommended for frontline workers including health officials, people aged over 60 suffering from comorbidities etc. In all, 15,000 have taken the third dose though the number of people in this category are 2.69 lac. The health department has asked its frontline workers to get vaccinated first, followed by senior citizens suffering from health complications.

The health department has provided the booster dose even to private sector free of cost. Basically, this is meant for health workers in private hospitals. Health officials said that the private hospitals have been directed to give the vaccines retained for paying patients in the past without payment.

Those who have obtained two doses of the vaccine have to wait for nine months to get the booster dose. Those who have taken Covishield or Covaxin in the past have to get the same vaccine as booster dose. For those who have taken Russia's Sputnik in the past, arrangement for the booster dose of the same vaccine has been made at a hospital in the district.

RCH officer of Dakshina Kannada, Dr Rajesh informed that after the spurt in Covid19 cases, even those who had shunned vaccination so far were now hurrying to get the jab. The department too has been spreading awareness about the need for vaccination and efforts are on to pace up the first dose administration, he explained.