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In 10 days, 11% of infected patients in Chandigarh were minors
As many as 1,926 people tested positive for Covid in Chandigarh between December 30 and January 8; among them 1,712 (89%) were adults, while 214 were minors
As many as 11% of the total people, who contracted Covid-19 in Chandigarh between December 30 and January 8, were aged below 18, figures from the UT health department show.
As many as 1,926 people tested positive for Covid in the UT in the said period. Among them 1,712 (89%) were adults, while 214 were minors.
The minors included 119 children in the 15 to 18 age group, while 95 were below the age of 15. Nine of these eligible children had already taken the first dose of vaccine.
The paediatric population has remained highly vulnerable to infection as it was not included in the nationwide vaccination drive until January 3, when the Union government rolled out the vaccination drive for children aged 15 to 18.
“Currently, there is no infection cluster among this age group in Chandigarh. The virus was not spreading at educational institutes and is limited in close contacts or houses,” said Dr Suman Singh, director, health services, Chandigarh.
On January 6, the UT administration had ordered the closure of all educational institutions, except medical and nursing colleges, in view of the rising Covid cases.
Hospitalisation rate low
Dr Singh added, “Hospitalisation among the paediatric population, and even in adults, is very low. Even then, we are fully equipped for a surge in hospitalisation of children. Sufficient beds have been reserved for paediatrics in all government hospitals in UT, including PGIMER, GMSH-16 and GMCH-32.”
4% of adults not jabbed even once
Even though the UT health department had claimed to have achieved 100% first dose coverage in August last year, as many as 4% of the adults, who got infected in the 10-day period, were not inoculated even once.
While 1,568 of the 1,712 adult patients were fully vaccinated, 68 were found to have not taken any dose, while 76 had received at least one dose.
According to the latest electoral list and central government’s target, around 8,43,000 people are to be immunised in Chandigarh. As on Sunday, 10,36,047 (123%) people, including migrants, have taken their first shot in Chandigarh, while 8,06,020 (96%) are fully vaccinated.
“Despite door-to-door vaccination drives and setting up special vaccination camps across the city, people are not coming forward to take the jab. With more virulent variants like Omicron spreading fast, people must shun hesitancy and get vaccinated at the earliest,” said Dr Singh.
36% children jabbed in a week
According to the eligible population projected by the central government, about 72,000 children, aged 15 to 18, are eligible for vaccination in Chandigarh.
Since January 3, the UT health department has vaccinated 25,509 (36%) children with the first dose. So far, no side effects have been reported post immunisation.
With the administration laying thrust on vaccination, on Saturday, UT health secretary Yashpal Garg had ordered that all eligible children should get the first dose before January 26.
