COVID Cases Rise In Other States: Top Odisha Health Official Urges People Not To Delay Booster Dose

Bhubaneswar: With cases rising in Delhi and some other states and lack of enthusiasm among people of Odisha to take the precautionary or booster dose, state Health Services Director Bijay Mohapatra has urged people who took their second shots nine months back to immediately take the third dose.

Mohapatra cautioned that immunity reduces with time and that people with comorbidities in any age group are particularly vulnerable in case of reinfection.

“Though cases are rising in other states, transmission of the virus is at an all-time low in Odisha. The low-risk perception could be responsible for the lack of interest in the booster dose. However, all vaccinated people who had their second dose nine months back should immediately take the precautionary dose,” he said.

So far, 5,77,878 people above 60 years, only 6,278 people in the 45-59 age group and 2,647 people in the 18-44 age group have taken the booster shot in the state. The Centre has also flagged the low booster coverage in Odisha and asked the state government to accelerate the process.

Two new Omicron sub-variants — BA.2.12 and BA.2.12.1 — are behind the recent surge in cases in the US and Delhi, senior internal medicine specialist Dr Niroj Kumar Mishra told TNIE. “Though we need not panic, we must step up measures. The Health department should immediately intensify awareness drives on the importance of the booster dose,” he said.

Senior microbiologist Dr Tribhuban Mohan Mohapatra told TNIE that the gap for precautionary dose should be brought down from nine months to six months.

Odisha reported 11 COVID-19 cases on Friday, including 2 cases in the 0-18 age group testing positive for the virus in the last 24 hours.

According to the I & PR department, 6 fresh cases are from quarantine and 5 from local contacts.

Here’s the district-wise details of cases:

1. Balangir: 2
2. Cuttack: 2
3. Kendrapada: 2
4. Khurda: 2
5. Sambalpur: 3

With 19,370 samples tested during the last 24 hours, the state’s positivity rate (TPR) stood at 0.05 per cent.

Odisha now has 101 active cases.