On Day 1 of booster dose, many hopefuls sent back

 On Day 1 of booster dose, many hopefuls sent back

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Ram.Sundaram@timesgroup.com

11.01.2022

Chennai: On the first day of vaccine booster programme in the city, officials of Primary Health Centres (PHCs) said they were unaware of the campaign. Several people who had queued up were sent back home.

Greater Chennai Corporation on Sunday had announced that booster doses will be available at 140 PHCs in the city. However, soon after chief minister MK Stalin launched the campaign at MRC Nagar on Monday, complaints began to pour in.

S Ganesh, a resident of Thiruvanmiyur, said he visited three PHCs in his area to get the booster shot for his 73-yearold mother, but could not get it. He said he had received a text message from the government on Sunday requesting her to get her third dose.

“Workers deployed at helpdesks in Thiruvanmiyur, Kottivakkam and Palavakkam PHCs had no information regarding the booster shot. The situation was no different at Virugambakkam PHC. Overall, it was a mess,” he said, hoping that the government will rectify the matter in the next one or two days.

People residing within Tambaram and Avadi corporation limits faced a different set of problems. “Government hospitals here do not have adequate Covaxin stock. So only those who had received two doses of Covishield were able to get inoculated,” said SM Govindarajan from Federation of Residents' Welfare Associations in Tambaram.

In Avadi, even though booster doses were available, not many were aware about the campaign, eligibility and documents required. “Some eligible people arrived at PHCs here without Aadhar card, printed copies of comorbidity or vaccine certificates. So they were sent back,”said T Sadagopan, a resident-activist from Pattabiram.

None of the private hospitals administered the third dose. Their names were not even listed on the official Cowin website. “It would be better if the government starts vaccinating people at their doorsteps,” Sadagopan said.

GCC Commissioner Gagandeep Singh Bedi said doorto-door vaccine campaigns for booster shots will begin soon. People who are 60 or above can contact 1913, 044-25384520 or 044-46122300 to register.