Kolkata: Senior citizens eager for 3rd dose of Covid vaccine – Times of India

KOLKATA: Senior citizen Ketaki Bhose is among the first lot of people above 60 years who will be taking the precaution dose on the first day of rollout on Monday. The Prince Anwar Shah Road resident had taken her first dose on March 1, the first day of inoculation drive rollout for the 60-plus category. She plans to visit the nearest CVC on Monday for the jab.
Many 60-plus recipients who had taken the first dose on March 1 are now eligible for booster dose. Most of these people have got themselves inoculated with the second dose by April 10, making them have the requisite gap of 39 weeks post the second dose. “I have been following the news on booster doses as I was eager for this dose which might keep on protecting me at least from getting a severe infection. I already have hypertension as a comorbidity and hence I am planning to take the jab from a private CVC near my home,” said Swarup Das, a retired engineer of a central government institute.
The gap between the two doses of Covishield in the initial days of rollout was four to six weeks before the revised protocol of 12 to 16 weeks gap issued in mid-May. Many had managed to take their second dose by then.
“Though I am eager to take booster dose I will become eligible for it only towards February-end because of the mandatory gap of 39 weeks,” said former director of rural development with Arunachal government Manoj Ranjan Bhattacharjee.
“We have about 600 eligible senior citizens who took both doses from our CVC and who are eligible for the jab right from Monday. About 60 of them have already called up for a slot. We have kept 300 slots opened for them on Monday,” said R Venkatesh regional director (east) Narayana Health.
While those willing to pay can get the jab done at private CVCs, the government CVCs will offer the jab free to any senior citizen. Senior citizens need not register anymore as they are already registered on Co-Win. “We are finding out if we get an option to organise the booster dose for our senior citizen members as some of them do not want to visit hospital,” said Dhires Chowdhury, geriatrician with Banchbo the works for senior citizens.