Omicron spurs TS into action

Hyderabad: The State Government seems to be slowly getting out of slumber in the wake of the alert issued by the Centre on the possibility of Omicron, the new variant of Covid-19 triggering a third wave. According to the State Government, over 25 lakh people in the State had missed their second dose of vaccine though the prescribed gap between the first and second dose was over.

The department claims that they have been sending alert messages to those who were due for second dose, but they did not come forward. Now that the Centre has issued an advisory, the state Medical and Health department decided to trace those who skipped the second dose, compile data and send it to medical officials in districts so that a special drive can be launched to vaccinate them.

Hyderabad it is said tops the list of those who skipped the second dose of vaccine followed by Ranga Reddy, Medchal and Malkajgiri districts. The government is making efforts to vaccinate all the people who missed the second dose and is now contemplating taking action against those who skipped it and still refuse to voluntarily come forward.

Director of Public Health (DPH) Dr G Srinivasa Rao said that 90 per cent of the eligible individuals have been administered first dose of the Covid vaccine. Of them, 45per cent of the eligible persons received the second dose.