Gandhinagar: Experts believe that rather than waiting for the booster dose of Covid-19 vaccines, people, especially the elderly, diabetics and those at risk of infections, should take the flu shot that gives them protection from different variants of the seasonal flu virus.

Dr Manoj Singh, consultant chest and critical care, Apollo Hospitals, while suggesting this also added that those who have not taken the second dose of COVID-19 vaccines should immediately take the second dose.

“We as healthcare workers take the flu shot every year that protects us from seasonal flu and therefore, we are advising it to people,” Dr Singh said, adding that people should strictly adhere to precautionary measures against COVID-19.

The doctors also believe that at a time when the threat associated with the Omicron variant of covid-19 looms large, people should cut down on unnecessary travel.

Dr Maharshi Desai, a critical care specialist with Apollo Hospitals, Ahmedabad, who treated COVID-19 patients during the first and the second wave, said, “In the past few months, people have let down their guard and are not wearing masks, maintaining hand hygiene and physical distancing at public places. This reckless attitude can lead to a surge in COVID-19 cases and therefore, the government should strictly ensure the adherence to precautionary measures against the viral infection.”

Dr Desai also said that although winter has already set in and Christmas holidays are approaching, people should refrain from unnecessary travel. “Since the Omicron variant poses a threat for both vaccinated and unvaccinated population, people should cut down on unnecessary travel,” he said.

Also, the medical practitioner said that government should try to ensure that samples of the majority of COVID-positive patients should be collected for genome sequencing. He said, “Genome sequencing is required at the initial stage as identifying the spread of the Omicron variant and ascertaining its virulence will help in formulating the right policies to combat it.”