New Delhi12 hours earlier
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We need accidents to agitate, to be energized. As long as everything goes well, we find it meaningless to take any measures for our safety and life. When it came to applying the vaccine to avoid corona, we woke up only when the second wave took many lives.
Immediately got two doses but as soon as the second wave passed, we became restless. Had to happen. Everything became as before. The third wave did not harm us. We became more concerned. The government said that now it is necessary to apply a booster dose of the vaccine. Only three-and-a-half percent of the people got the booster dose.
Of course the government was at fault in this. After applying the first two doses free, the booster dose fee was fixed. No country in the world is taking money for this vaccine. Most of the countries are providing the vaccine free of cost, but our government has fixed different fees for different booster doses.
The health ministry last week reduced the gap between the second and precautionary dose of the vaccine from 9 months to 6 months.
Earlier 1200 and 600 Rs. Price set. Then it is reduced to Rs.225. And service charge separately, fixed. Paid booster doses were being administered only in private hospitals. Free boosters were being given only to front line workers and elderly people at government hospitals and centres.
The question is not about fee or free. When the life-saving vaccine was made paid, people understood that it would not be so essential. Had there been fear, the government would have kept it free as before. We considered the booster dose unnecessary. Since the people who applied the second dose came to the completion of the year from nine months.
Recently, in some states, gradually the cases started increasing. The ears of the government stood up. On Wednesday, the government also made booster doses free for those in the age group of 18 to 59 years. Because this was the only way to save the country from a major tragedy. Now get the booster dose anywhere, at any government center, it will be free. It will remain paid in private hospitals.
‘Har Ghar Dastak Abhiyan 2.0’ was launched in all states and union territories from June 1 to accelerate vaccination and promote booster shots.
When the speed of the booster dose was seen to be slow, the first government reduced the period of nine months (after the second dose) to six months. We still haven’t woken up. After all, it had to be done for free. Know why we also keep waiting for the life-saving medicine to be free of cost.
Even when the government makes it free, its burden has to fall on us. Either the tax will be increased or the tax relief which was going to be available will not be available now. …and be sure, this burden will be much more than the cost of the booster dose. The only difference is that we do not have to pay this burden immediately.