Only 3,87 Lakh people in the 18-59 age group have taken the third dose of “caution” from the Covid vaccine because it was launched for this category on April 10, according to the Ministry of Health’s data. But significantly, data shows that more than 51 percent of this dose is given in the last four days, to coincide with uptick in cases and recognition of mask mandate in main cities like Delhi.

According to the data, 3,87,719 the third dose was given throughout the country in the age group 18-59 over the last 14 days – including 1.98 lakh from April 20 to April 24.

Apart from Delhi, Upper and Haryana re -introduced the mandate of the mask last week after a little uptick in the case.

This is separate, ministry data shows that more than half of the total number of third doses for groups 18-59 is managed in large metro countries.

Data also shows that the absorption of the third dose has dipped for priority groups as well, including Frontline and health service workers, after starting high during the Omicron surge in January.

Health officials, who are part of the Covid Center Immunization Monitoring Team, link the total number of third doses as a whole to the “relatively stable situation” and the availability of this dose is only on payment in private facilities.

They said the prevention dose in the 18-59 category was “mainly taken only by those who need it to travel abroad and those who suffer from comorbidity”.

According to ministries data, 54 percent of the third dose given in the age group 18-59 over the past 14 days is in Delhi, Maharashtra, Bengal Barat and Karnataka.

This is mainly due to private vaccination centers concentrated in the metro fields such as Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Kolkata. On Sunday, according to data about Cowin, only 893 private vaccination sites operated compared to 19,494 government vaccination sites.

Significantly, the data also shows that large to medium countries, which have the presence of relatively low private vaccination centers, have given less than 5,500 third doses to those aged 18-59 years: Rajasthan (3,918), Madhya Pradesh (4,303) and Jharkhand (5,290).