Why is COVID Vaccination Important in India?

Covid 19 vaccination in India

Scientists think that vaccines can help India prevent a disaster like the one that occurred in April and May.

India has been able to properly vaccinate around 20% of susceptible adults over the age of 45. Two doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine (known locally as Covishield) were also proven to be protective against hospitalizations and severe illness, including against the feared Delta strain, which is thought to be the source of India's second wave surge.

How Can We Avoid the Surge of the Third Wave?

● By scaling up vaccine 

● Taking proper precautions

Will the Third Wave affect Children?

According to the World Health Organization and the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, a hypothetical third wave will not have a disproportionate impact on children. 

This conclusion is based on seroprevalence research with a sample size of 10,000 people conducted in five states. Covid-19 seroprevalence is 55.7% in those under the age of 18 and 63.5% in those over the age of 18.

As they have the same level of antibodies, children will not be disproportionately impacted in the third wave, as previously predicted.

In general, many patients have developed resistance to Covid-19.

Precautions to be taken for the Third Wave of COVID-19

The aim of the healthcare workers is to shrink the susceptible population and to increase the exposed population, so as to reach maximum herd immunity. For achieving that, everyone should get vaccinated as soon as possible, without any hesitation.

● Vaccination is a must.

● Avoid crowd 

● Avoid junk food and food from outside.

● Consume healthy food to boost your immunity.

● Consume Vitamin C enriched fruits and supplements to boost your immune system.

● Wash your hands at regular intervals and follow hand hygiene.

● Wear a double mask, whenever going outside.

Should the gap between two doses of Vaccine (Covishield)  be decreased?

Dr. Shashank Joshi, President of IAD, stated in an interview that the greater the interval between the two doses of Covishield, the stronger the immune response. Given that there is a plentiful supply of dosages, the interval should be about 8-16 weeks.

Furthermore, Dr. Rohit Pandit stated that this permits a broader population to be served.

One intriguing question is whether healthcare personnel who are exposed to viruses regularly should be given a third dosage of the vaccination?

Infection rates among fully vaccinated healthcare personnel are quite low, hovering at 5-6%.

One thing to note is that none of them required considerable care.

Few of them were on ventilators due to co-morbidities. As a result, it can be inferred that if the general public, who is not exposed to the virus regularly, the odds of reinfection are extremely low.

Conclusion

On a concluding note, it would be wiser to take vaccines at your turn without hesitation. Follow the rules and wear a mask whenever going outside.  Stay indoors, eat healthily, stay safe.

References:

1. https://youtu.be/Lv_568AaFkI

2. https://qz.com/india/2023971/when-will-indias-third-wave-of-covid-19-begin-and-peak/

3. https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/third-wave-of-covid-19-in-india-what-these-3-studies-have-revealed-so-far-101624029095939.html