Vaccinate All First, Boosters Can Wait, Says AIIMS Chief To Meet December Deadline

As Brazil, US and several other countries have announced third vaccine shots, AIIMS chief Randeep Guleria has said that ¡°the idea of booster doses can wait" and India should at the moment focus on vaccinating as many people as possible to curb the spread of Covid-19.

AIIMS chief's statement

¡°I think we should focus on vaccinating those who have not been vaccinated till now, especially the high-risk group. Still many healthcare workers, many elderly and those with comorbidities have not been vaccinated, and they are the ones who have a chance of having more severe disease and dying because of Covid-19," Guleria was quoted as saying by ANI.

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Further, the AIIMS chief said that instead of exploring the idea of booster doses, if the focus is on giving vaccines to those who will benefit from it, "we may be able to save lives."

"So I think the issue should be to vaccinate as many individuals as possible, rather than going in for three shots, four shots and trying different things, I think, let's stick to what we know right now, and focus on vaccinating as many people as we can," Guleria said.

The AIIMS chief also said that enough data was not yet available to show the need for booster dose right now in the country. "I don't think we have enough data to show that there is a need for booster right now, remember antibodies is not the only way of giving protection," he said.

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WHO's stand on boosters

The top doctor¡¯s suggestion comes days after WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called on countries to delay giving out booster shots. The World Health Organization previously argued against giving out follow-up doses while some countries continue to struggle vaccinating their population in the first place.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other top leaders of the country have repeatedly urged people to get vaccinated as soon as possible, as Centre has been pushing to meet its December deadline of jabbing all adults.

Representational Image/Reuters

1 cr doses per day to meet deadline

According to a report in Times of India, the country needs to average almost one crore doses per day till the end of the year to reach the target. To do this, it will have to nearly double the daily average it achieved in the best week so far ¡ª just under 59 lakh per day from June 19 to 25, the report stated.

It further said that the burden will be heavier on states such as West Bengal, Bihar, UP, Jharkhand, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra, where the average needed for the rest of the year is about double what was achieved in the best week or even more. Worryingly, that¡¯s a list that includes the four most populous states in the country.

AP

Guleria also said that if vaccinations continue in good strength according to the results of the Sero Survey, the country may not have as many cases in the likely third wave of COVID-19. "My feeling is that if we are able to continue to have good vaccination and looking at the serosurvey data, chances are that we may not have that many cases in the third wave," he said.