Karnataka chief minister BS Yediyurappa gets Covid-19 vaccination

The 78-year-old CM was inoculated as part of the drive in the state that has so far vaccinated over 11.84 lakh.

Karnataka chief minister BS Yediyurappa on Friday was administered the Covid-19 vaccine in Bengaluru's Victoria Hospital.

Yediyurappa, like many other senior political leaders in the state and country, had tested positive for the virus last year. (HT Photo)

The 78-year-old chief minister was inoculated as part of the drive in the state that has so far vaccinated over 11.84 lakh people including over 2.55 lakh above the age of 45 with comorbidities and those above 60 years of age.

Yediyurappa, like many other senior political leaders in the state and country, had tested positive for the virus in August and spent around eight days in a private hospital in Bengaluru.

Several of his family members and official staff who were in contact with him had also tested positive.

With hesitancy still a factor, Karnataka's vaccination drive has not been able to achieve the desired target. The vaccine coverage in Bengaluru is one of the lowest in the state. The state government has also sought permissions from the Centre to inoculate eminent personalities, including film stars, sportsmen, politicians, jurists and even journalists, to help remove any concerns of safety over the vaccine.

The state government has targeted to increase the vaccination numbers after a surge in new virus cases was reported in the state. Bengaluru, Karnataka's growth engine, is among the top 10 most impacted Covid-19 districts in the country with 5,825 active cases of Covid-19 at present.

Bengaluru accounts for the biggest chunk of Karnataka's 7,831 active cases. It also accounts for 4,514 deaths so far out of the total 12,381 Covid-19 fatalities across the state.