People In Odisha Reluctant To Take COVID Booster Dose: Senior Health Official

Bhubaneswar: Amid the fluctuation in COVID numbers, the reluctance among people of Odisha to get the booster jab has become a cause of concern.

Speaking to the media, Family and Welfare Director Bijay Panigrahi on Thursday informed that 87 per cent (2.84 crore) people in the state are yet to take the booster jabs. “Only 42,70,487 (13 per cent) have been inoculated with the precaution doses,” he said.

He further said that around 25 lakh people are yet to take the second dose of COVID vaccine. “Less than 90 per cent of beneficiaries have received the first dose in Cuttack, Khurda, Jagatsinghpur, Sundargarh, Puri, and Angul districts,” he said.

Panigrahi requested the eligible beneficiaries to take the booster dose before the ongoing free drive ends.

Meanwhile, the Director of Public Health Niranjan Mishra told the media persons that the COVID cases have been hovering around 1000 for the last 15 days. “In Maharashtra, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Delhi, the fourth wave has already peaked, and we are almost there,” he said.

Mishra further said that only 700 to 800 of 20,000 samples are testing positive for the virus, which is a good sign. “People are showing fewer symptoms and the hospitalisation rate is also low in the current wave,” he said.

The COVID vaccination is reducing the symptoms and the number of reported cases is expected to remain static and decline further, he added.