About 40% of healthcare workers yet to receive second vaccine jab

About 40% of registered healthcare workers who received their first dose of Covid-19 vaccine have yet to receive the second dose more than three weeks after the country initiated the second phase of public immunisation drive covering senior citizens and persons with comorbidities in 45-59 years group, state-wise data shows.

Data collated by the health and family welfare ministry reveals that as of March 15, 7,408,521 healthcare workers had received the first dose of Covid-19 vaccine. However, only 4,397,613 had received the second dose — a gap of 30 lakh.

The ministry had asked the states to complete vaccination of healthcare workers (both doses) and a mop-up round by March 6. Not a single state has reported covering both doses for healthcare workers.

The gap between healthcare workers administered first and both doses is more in states that had a slow start to vaccination drive such as Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya and Nagaland. These states have not covered half the healthcare workers with both doses of the vaccine, data shows.

Officials of some states said many healthcare workers are not turning up for the second dose on schedule due to rumours that the efficacy of the vaccine improve with a longer time gap between two doses.
“We had a slow start, so our healthcare workers are turning up now after seeing the vaccine uptake in the senior citizens category. Since they have been covered late, they would be up for second shot later,” Tamil Nadu health secretary J Radhakrishnan told ET. “But at the same time, there were rumours related to Covishield that it is more effective if the gap between doses is over 8-10 weeks, so the healthcare workers are themselves delaying the second shot.”

Odisha National Health Mission director Shalini Pandit said 86% of healthcare workers in the state have already received the second dose.