HNExpress Staff Reporter : The Precaution dose that comes with the promise of enhanced immunity against Covid 19 commenced for the 18+ age group at Woodlands Vaccination Centre on Sunday, along with the rest of the country. People started coming to the centre from as early as 9am, many of them young men and women.
The recipients said the promise of increased immunity that came with the third dose enhanced their self-confidence, especially with more and more offices and educational institutions shifting to the old offline mode.
Abhijit Dutta, 30, a school teacher from Rahora in the northern fringes of Kolkata, who was among the first arrivals of the day, said he liked the systematic verification, billing, vaccine administration and handling over of certificate at Woodlands. Mr Dutta took his first dose of Covaxin on the first day it opened for the 18+ age group, the second dose as soon as he became eligible 28 days later and the third dose also on the “first day”.
His cousin Kallol Nath, 47, who accompanied him, said he was fascinated by the sprawling rooms at the centre at 8C, Alipore Road and the fact that it took only 5 minutes to get the post-vaccination certificate after walking into the centre. He also appreciated that the centre is open on Sundays, “benefiting people like us who work six-days-a-week,” he said.
The vaccines were administered as the slashed price that came into effect on Sunday. “The response was good on the first day of the Precaution dose for the 18+ age group. The reduced price of vaccines will increase demand for Covid vaccines, increase the pool, thus improving individual as well as herd immunity against covid and help private hospitals liquidate their stocks, thus averting vaccine wastage,” said Dr Rupali Basu, Managing Director & CEO, Woodlands Multispeciality Hospital.
Some beneficiaries booked slots for Woodlands while many others just walked in to the Centre at 8C, Alipore Road, about 200m from Woodlands Hospital. The Vaccination centre is the only one of its kind in the city, away from the main hospital.