Vaccination slows, 17.1 lakh get jabs in 7th mega camp

Vaccination slows, 17.1 lakh get jabs in 7th mega camp

Rain Plays Spoilsport In Many Parts Of The State

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:31.10.2021

Two lakh staff, thousands of volunteers, 50,000 vaccination camps, more than 8,000 vehicles in addition to public campaigns and door-to-door canvassing by nurses could bring less than 20 lakh people to the seventh mega vaccination camp on Saturday.

By 8.15pm, the immunization division attached to the directorate of preventive medicine announced 17.1 lakh people visited vaccination camps. Among these 10.8 lakh people have taken the first dose. The slowdown in vaccinations across the state has often been attributed to a combination of misinformation and mistrust, branded by public health workers in the state as vaccine hesitancy. On Saturday, officials said, rain in many parts of the state brought down attendance in camps.

As a result, more than 1.7crore adults in the state haven’t taken even one dose of the vaccine and nearly 50 lakh are due for their second dose – some of them are due since May. “Most people who haven't been vaccinated are either reluctant, anxious or procrastinating,” said health secretary J Radhakrishnan.

Many people who took vaccines over the last one week told TOI that they were forced to roll up their sleeves because of unavoidable reasons. “I am not averse to vaccination. I just didn’t think it was required,” said a senior citizen S Rajeshwari, who took the vaccine at a primary health center in Chennai on Thursday. For months, she and her husband were not willing to take the vaccine, until her son insisted. “He works for a corporate company. His office has made it mandatory for members of the house to get vaccinated. If we don’t take it, he will not be able to go back to work,” she said.

People had different ways to reach the vaccination centers on Saturday, but most of them said they made the decision abruptly, after months of inaction. “I got sick of wearing the mask all day at college. I wear them even when I step out with friends for coffee. They keep reminding me to wear it properly as I am not vaccinated. I came here today because I am sick of it,” said a 19-year-old college student, Sakshi A.

Vellore-based senior virologist Dr T Jacob John said many people should be encouraged to take this path quickly. “Fresh cases are down; hospitals are empty and there are no longer stringent lockdowns. So, people are probably assuming we are safe,” he said. “Vaccines can stop the new surge. We must get all our vulnerable people covered,” he said.

11 districts report increase in cases

Chennai:31.10.2021

Eleven districts reported an increase in cases on Saturday when the fresh cases in the state dropped to 1,021 from 1,039 on Friday.

The state reported14 deaths and discharged 1,172 people from the registry. At the end of the day, there were 11,685 active cases and the cumulative toll tally reached 36,097. On Friday Chennai reported 126 new cases and Coimbatore recorded 118.

At least 25 districts reported fewer than 20 cases each on Saturday. With two new cases Ramanathapuram reported the least number of cases followed by three each in Tenkasi and Mayiladuthurai.

Of the 14 deaths reported on Saturday, there were three in Coimbatore and two each in Erode, Trichy and Nagapattinam. Chengalpattu, Salem, Kancheepuram, Thiruvarur and Ranipet reported one death each. Twenty nine districts reported zero deaths. TNN

Over 4L get 2 doses of vax in Puducherry

More than four lakh people have taken two doses of Covid-19 vaccine while more than seven lakh people have taken one dose of the vaccine so far in the Union territory of Puducherry. Healthcare authorities have so far administered 11.26 lakh doses of Covid-19 vaccine. They have tested 19.13 lakh swab samples of which 16.16 lakh samples returned negative.

The territory reported 39 fresh cases even as 48 patients recovered in the last 24 hours ending at 10am on Saturday bringing down the active cases to 437.

The territory did not report any Covid-19 death for the sixth consecutive day. The death toll remained at 1,857. Puducherry headquarters reported the maximum fatalities with 1,453 followed by Karikal (250), Yanam (107) and Mahe (47). TNN