Corpn to run major vax drive for three days

Corpn to run major vax drive for three days

Jabs Only For 45+; Plans To Clear Vaccine Stock Left

Komal.Gautham@timesgroup.com

Chennai:  14.05.2021 

The city corporation will conduct a “massive vaccination drive” in the next three days beginning on Friday, covering one lakh people aged above 45 years. (The Tamil Nadu government hasn’t opened vaccination for people aged between 18 and 45 years.) “Vaccination will be done at apartment complexes, markets, residential localities and companies. At a marriage hall, traders and associations will be called and administered the vaccine,” said a zonal health officer.

Greater Chennai Corporation, which has a stock of 1.2 lakh doses of Covishield doses and 16,000 of Covaxin, will keep about 20% as reserve for second doses and administer the rest.

“We want to finish the stocks we have and vaccinate the maximum number of people in a short time to cut the rate of transmission. What is the use of the vaccines if we do not use them?” corporation commissioner Gagandeep Singh Bedi said.

Harminder Singh, principal secretary to municipal administration department, said the government was procuring more vaccines and there won’t be any shortage.

All zonal medical officers and zonal health officers were called for a meeting on Thursday to review vaccine coverage. Many zones in the north such as Thiruvottiyur (42%), Tondiarpet (29%) and Thiru Vi Ka Nagar (31%), which had low coverage of those above 45, will be the major focus, said an official. Some like Adyar (75%), Anna Nagar (70%) and Ambattur (63%) had better coverage.

Of the 16.4 lakh doses administered so far, Covishield accounted for12 lakh (8.7 lakh 1st dose and 3.3 lakh 2nd dose) and Covaxin 4.3 lakh (2.6 lakh 1st dose and1.7 lakh 2nd dose).

In the drive that began in February, about 16.38 lakh have been vaccinated (including both doses). Of the nearly 22 lakh people above 45 years in a population of 80 lakh, about 50% got the first dose.

“We vaccinated about 35,000 a day earlier. Since May, there has been a fall in numbers. To ensure 35,000-40,000 are vaccinated daily, we will vaccinate them all,” said Bedi.