PANAJI
While nearly 75 percent of the Covid patients in the state who died during the second wave were non-vaccinated, 52 percent Covid-related deaths during the third wave were also linked to non-vaccination or partial vaccination, state immunologist Dr Rajendra Borkar said on Tuesday, urging non-vaccinated persons to sign up for immunisation jabs as soon as possible.
Addressing a press conference in Panaji on Tuesday, Director of Health Services Dr Ira Almeida also said that the Covid virus tended to latch on to persons who were not vaccinated, leading to severe complications and deaths in several cases.
"In the second wave, 75 percent of deaths in Goa were people who were not vaccinated at all. Several were vaccinated with only one dose. So it is proved beyond doubt now statistically that those who are vaccinated, though they get infected the death rate is very less, hospitalisation is very less, complications are very less," Borkar said, adding that around 52 percent of the deaths which occurred during the third wave also accounted for unvaccinated persons.
"So I would urge all media persons to give maximum publicity to the fact that most people who are dying are those who have not been vaccinated. In the case of children, I would only conclude by urging people to ignore misinformation and myths that are circulating. Ignore them and get your children vaccinated as early as possible. Children themselves can be carriers and spread the infection to vulnerable people," Borkar said.
According to Almeida, the demographic of persons who have skipped vaccination mostly include senior citizens.
"These are the people who the virus is now catching and they are getting admitted and some of them are dying. We have done our best to find out who these people are. We have gone to their homes. We have allowed drive-in (facilities) for people who are older and are coming for vaccination," she said.
"Then there are those who do not want to take the vaccine. These are the people we are trying to convert to make them take the vaccine, because we can see that these are the ones getting admitted and dying," she added.
The Health Department also said that 98.99 percent of the second dose coverage had been completed.
"In the age group of children between 15 to 18 years, we are at 81.25 percent. That is the first dose. We have already started administering the second dose. So on the vaccination front we are doing good, but people who are getting admitted in GMC and unfortunately those who are succumbing to death are mostly in the non-vaccinated category," she said.
