E-Paper
94% population in Chandigarh has received first Covid vaccine jab
Health department says it will administer the first Covid vaccine jab to 43,740 eligible people in the next eight days to achieve the target of 100% vaccination; 30% Chandigarh residents fully vaccinated
Medical experts are optimistic that coronavirus transmission in the Union Territory will remain in check as 94% of the eligible residents have received the first dose of the vaccine, and 30% of the population has been fully inoculated.
As per the latest electoral list, around 7,29,822 people in Chandigarh are over the age of 18 and are eligible to take the vaccine. Till Saturday, 6,86,082 people ( 94.01%) had received their first shot, while 2,17,801 (29.84%) had received both the jabs.
Though the 18-45 age bracket was the last to be covered under the drive, as many as 3,56,873 people have received the first dose, as compared to 2,57,876 in the 45-plus group.
However, the UT health department aims to vaccinate the remaining 43,740 eligible people with the first dose before August 15 to achieve a 100% vaccination target (with the first dose).
The health department had also set a target of vaccinating 27,373 healthcare workers, of which 97.44% have received their first dose. As many as 44,660 frontline workers have received the first jab, against a target of 24,396.
Chandigarh director health services Dr Amandeep Kang says, “Vaccinating 45,000 people in eight days is an achievable target as the door-to-door vaccination drive is already underway. In most of the UT’s urban and rural areas, health teams are being sent to inoculate the elderly, and those who are bed-ridden or disabled.”
“In the coming days, more people will become eligible to get their second jab, which will further check the spread of the virus. However, people still need to wear face masks and follow Covid-appropriate behaviour to avoid getting infected.”
Health officials say the first dose of the vaccine helps build antibodies, but without a booster dose the antibodies will not be able to fight off the virus, especially with the emergence of deadlier variants.
Dr Kang said UT adviser Dharam Pal has written to the central government asking them to update the eligible population from 15 lakh to 7.2 lakh. “The Centre will soon update the figure and Chandigarh will be first among states and UTs to have inoculated over 94% of its population with the first dose,” she said.
