Nearly 12 lakh people yet to take booster dose of COVID-19 vaccine, Goa BJP claims

Nearly 12 lakh people are yet to take the booster dose of COVID-19 vaccine in Goa, the state BJPs medical cell claimed on Tuesday.

Nearly 12 lakh people are yet to take the booster dose of COVID-19 vaccine in Goa, the state BJP's medical cell claimed on Tuesday. The Goa BJP's medical cell convenor Dr Shekhar Salkar said the party has asked its workers to get maximum number of people to vaccination centres for the precautionary jab. "Nearly 12 lakh people have taken both the doses and majority of them are eligible for the booster dose," Salkar claimed.

At least 100 odd cases of coronavirus are reported in Goa every day and there are fatalities too, he said.

"After six months, the level of antibodies drops and a booster dose can help maintain these levels," Salkar said.

Now that booster jabs are free for people in the 18 to 59 age group for 75 days, the party is putting more effort to get maximum number of people to take the dose, he said.

Salkar further said MLAs and other influential leaders will be roped in to create awareness about the booster dose. The average positivity rate is at 9 to 10 per cent in the state, while in the country it is 6 per cent, he claimed, citing that the best part was that the hospitalisation was not required, but worst is that deaths are still reported due to the disease.