Mass reluctance in taking Covid-19 booster dose worries Bengal govt

Kolkata, July 15 (SocialNews.XYZ) The West Bengal government is concerned over the reluctance of people in getting Covid-19 booster doses.

In a meeting on the Covid-19 situation in the state at the state secretariat, Nabanna on Friday, it was revealed that over 5.5 crore eligible people are yet to get the booster dose.

As per the statistics provided by the state Health Department till date a total of 62,29,729 persons are yet to receive the Covaxin booster dose. The number in case of Covishield booster dose is 4,85,67,641.

What has kept the state Health Department worried is that reluctance in taking the booster dose has been witnessed more in the state's most densely populated districts of Kolkata, North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas, and Hooghly. In fact, the fresh rise in the Covid-19 graph in the state had been prominent in these four districts only.

In Friday meetings, it has been decided that district-wise breakup of date relating to those not having booster dose as yet will be forwarded to the District Magistrates and the district health officers and accordingly, they will prepare the roadmap to complete the booster dose vaccination in their respective districts by September 30.

Health Department officials said that there is no possibility of imposing any lockdown-like restrictions in the state. "However, the officials of different state government departments including the police personnel will again start the process of creating mask and social distancing awareness among the people. The problem is that people in general have become careless thinking that Covid-19 phase is over. But that is not really the case," an official said.

Source: IANS