Low demand for precautionary dose amid surging COVID-19 cases in Telangana

Low uptake of precautionary vaccine dose in Telangana despite ample supply; only 1 hospital in Hyderabad offering Covovax.

Despite the recent upswing in COVID-19 cases both nationally and in the state of Telangana, there has been a low uptake of the precautionary vaccine dose. In the month of December, a mere 16 individuals opted to receive the additional precautionary dose.

Data available on the Co-WIN portal, managed by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, indicates that as of December 18, out of the 3.15 crore individuals who completed their second vaccine dose in Telangana, only 1.36 crore have chosen to take the precautionary dose. This signifies that merely 43% of the eligible population has been inoculated with the supplementary vaccine. Further analysis of the data reveals that, out of the total 7.76 crore doses administered in the whole of Telangana, 3.24 crore are Dose-1, 3.15 crore are Dose-2, and 1.36 crore are Dose-3 (precautionary dose).

A senior official from the state health department while speaking to The Hindu, stated that despite the state having an ample vaccine supply, there appears to be a lack of demand from individuals seeking vaccination. The official suggested that the disease possibly entering the endemic stage could be a contributing factor to the decreased interest in receiving the vaccine.

In a concerning development, among the 33 districts in the state, only one hospital is listed on the CoWIN portal as actively administering vaccines to the public. The designated centre is a private hospital in Hyderabad offers Covovax for Dose-1, Dose-2, and the precautionary dose.