Covid-19: ‘Booster only when all are fully vaxxed’, says Dy CM Ajit Pawar

A beneficiary being administered a Covid-19 vaccine dose, at Nair hospital, on December 3. Pic/Ashish Raje

Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Friday said a booster dose against Covid-19 comes into picture only when the entire eligible population is fully vaccinated, and that is the current priority for the state government.

He was talking to reporters after a weekly review meeting on the Covid-19 situation in Pune district, of which he is the guardian minister. Speaking about the booster dose, Pawar said doctors from the task force have suggested that the district administration should first ensure that the eligible population has taken both the doses of Covid-19 vaccines. Pune district has achieved 100 per cent administration of the first vaccine dose.

"It has been proved that those who have taken both the doses are less impacted by the virus. There are cases in some areas where booster doses have been administered and those people experienced mild effects when they got infected," he said. Pawar, however, said the Centre has to take a decision on the booster.

Centre will take decision

"The prime minister and the Centre decided to give two doses of vaccines. If any decision to administer a third (booster) dose is taken, according to my knowledge, the Serum Institute of India (SII) has the availability of doses. According to a recent statement from the company, they have reduced the production of the vaccine due to a drop in demand," he said. The Pune-based SII manufactures Covishield.

He, however, said the government's thrust is to achieve 100 per cent vaccination as far as the second dose is concerned. "Once both the doses are done 100 per cent, we can think about a booster dose and also vaccination for the 12 to 18 age group if the Centre's health department gives permission," said Pawar.

On vaccine hesitancy

On vaccine hesitancy, Pawar said in one district (Aurangabad), the respective collector took some strict measures (like no vaccine, no fuel and ration). "After that decision, vaccination figures went up. As a government, our job is to convince people, but they should also respond positively. But there are people who neither think about their own life nor about others," he said.

"If we do not get a positive response from people on the vaccination front, we may think of taking some strict stand," Pawar said. To increase the vaccination pace, instructions have been issued to hold special camps and deploy mobile vans to reach out to people, he said.

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