Shot in the arm for boosters: Demand jumps 20% as Covid cases spike

Amid forecasts of a spike in the number of Covid cases with new strains of Omicron - BA.4 and BA.5 - spreading rapidly and the impending threat of an elusive fourth wave, there is renewed interest in the booster shot for those already vaccinated.

Demand for the precautionary shot or the third dose has gone up nearly 20 per cent in the past 10-12 days, reveals data.

As India’s case positivity rate crossed 1 per cent after two months on Monday, fears of catching a severe infection is getting people to the vaccination centres.

Maharashtra and Mumbai in particular, which are again witnessing sharp increase in Covid cases, have seen people queue up at vaccination centres.

On Saturday, the daily vaccination in the state touched 100,000, said Sachin Desai, state immunisation officer.

“Daily vaccinations were averaging around 60,000, but on Saturday, they went up sharply to 100,000. As such, 17 million people are due for their second dose in the state, and with the rate of infection on the rise, we expect people to not delay their second or third doses.”

From 8,000-9,000 shots daily for senior citizens, this number has nearly doubled to 15,000 shots in the past few days. Overall, vaccination has gone up 22 per cent in Maharashtra. On Monday, the state reported an 11 per cent positivity rate, touching double digits after three months.

Nearly 75 per cent of those aged 60 and above eligible for a precautionary third dose nine months of receiving the second dose have evinced an interest, indicating low vaccine hesitancy among this age cohort.

Overall, 12 million senior citizens are eligible for their third dose from government centres. Only close to 15 per cent of the overall population is covered.

Experts, however, feel this number will now steadily climb as many completed their two-vaccine course between August and October last year. They will now be eligible for their third shot. With Covid cases up, they are unlikely to delay that trip to the centre, observed Desai.

Moreover, the recent approval given to Biological E’s Corbevax is also likely to act as a catalyst. The drug regulator has allowed anyone above 18 years to be able to take the shot six months of finishing their two-dose regimen with either Serum Institute’s Covishield or Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin.  

Across India, the demand for the precautionary dose has gone up. Booster shots account for nearly 25 per cent of the overall vaccinations in the country right now. Maharashtra (2.9 million), Karnataka (2.4 million), Andhra Pradesh (3.8 million), and Gujarat (3.4 million) are among the states spearheading the ‘booster movement’, according to the data from the CoWIN portal.
 

Overall, India has administered 35.4 million precautionary shots so far. Most vaccination is driven by government centres (43,705 centres) since people still prefer getting their jabs gratis. Private vaccination (1,356 centres now), however, is likely to pick up.

As demand for precautionary doses among the 18-59 age cohort rises, demand for private vaccination, too, will rise. Vaccine makers have slashed their prices in anticipation.

Covishield and Covaxin are now priced at Rs 225 per dose, while Corbevax is available for Rs 250 per dose. But private hospitals charge Rs 150 towards administration expenses.

India has allowed precautionary doses for all adults below the age of 59 at private centres, while the government continues to offer doses to senior citizens, essential, and health care workers free of cost at government inoculation centres.

At least three major Mumbai hospitals confirmed there was renewed enthusiasm for vaccines.

Joy Chakraborty, chief operating officer, Hinduja Hospital, said their centre has seen higher footfall in the past week.

Sonam Solanki, consultant pulmonologist, Masina Hospital, said with the rise in cases, there is a sense of urgency among people for a booster.

Even among children, there is a rise in vaccination.

Vasant Nagvekar, co-director, infectious diseases at Sir HN Reliance Foundation Hospital, said parents want their children vaccinated as schools reopen.

The earlier vaxing and waning among parents was because it was exam time and there was subsequent dip in cases, discouraging them from vaccinating their children. But in view of the rise in cases and schools putting in place Covid protocols, parents are no longer in the ‘wait and see’ category.

Desai added that vaccination among children was higher when schools were open, but dipped during summer holidays.

“Schools will now open around mid-June and this segment will also see an uptick. It’s easier to vaccinate more children in schools. We will jump-start our school-to-school vaccination drive,” he added.