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4 months on, only 75% Chandigarh kids jabbed with first dose of Covid vaccine
Amid the rising Covid-19 cases in Chandigarh, the daily vaccination average has also dropped to 223 children in the last one week, as compared to 461 children a month ago
Nearly four months after the anti-Covid vaccination drive for 12-15 age group began on March 16, only 75% of the eligible population in Chandigarh has come forward for the first dose.
This, despite special vaccination camps at schools and healt department’s door-to-door vaccination drive especially for children.
As per the target set by the Union government, as many as 45,000 children in this age group are eligible for vaccination in Chandigarh, but in nearly four months, only 75% (33,777) have gotten the first dose, while the double dose coverage stands at 43% (19,243).
Being administered Corbevax vaccine, the children become eligible for the second dose after a gap of 28 days.
Amid the rising Covid-19 cases in the city, the daily vaccination average has also dropped to 223 children in the last one week, as compared to 461 children a month ago.
In the 15-18 age category, though the UT health department has already achieved the target of vaccinating 100% of the eligible children with the first dose, as on Sunday, only 69% of them are fully vaccinated.
The vaccination drive for this age group, comprising 72,000 children, had started on January 3. Exactly six months later, 73,757 children (102%) have received the first dose, but only 50,110 (69%) are fully vaccinated.
With schools set to reopen soon after summer vacations, health experts have cautioned that unvaccinated children will remain vulnerable to severe infection.
Dr Suman Singh, director, health services, Chandigarh, said, “While vaccination is voluntary, it is crucial to recovering quickly. Parents are requested to get their children vaccinated.”
Tricity’s daily cases rise to 125
After Covid-related deaths in Mohali for two consecutive days, the tricity recorded no new fatality on Sunday.
However, the daily cases increased from 113 to 125 in the past 24 hours.
Chandigarh saw its infections rising from 43 to 71 and Panchkula from 34 to 41. But in Mohali, the figure dipped from 36 to 13.
Those found infected in Chandigarh are residents of Sectors 8, 9, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 21, 24, 25, 26, 28, 30, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 42, 44, 45, 47, 48, 49, 50 and 56, Burail, Dhanas, Hallomajra, Mauli Jagran and Ram Darbar.
Among Mohali’s 13 cases, eight were reported from Mohali urban, four from Kharar and one from Dera Bassi.
Despite the spike in daily infections, tricity’s active caseload decreased from 993 to 961 between Saturday and Sunday amid more recoveries. Before Saturday, the active cases had remained over 1,000 for five straight days.
As many as 486 patients are still infected in Chandigarh, 297 in Mohali and 178 in Panchkula.
At 9%, the daily positivity rate was highest in Panchkula, tad lower in Chandigarh at 6% and lowest in Mohali at 2.5%.
