Daily vaccination targets, session sites reduced
After vaccinating almost 55% of the registered front-line healthcare workers since the Covid-19 vaccine launch on January 16, the district health department has planned to reduce the number of vaccination sites and the daily target
After vaccinating almost 55% of the registered front-line healthcare workers since the Covid-19 vaccine launch on January 16, the district health department has planned to reduce the number of vaccination sites and the daily target.
Officials cited multiple reasons, ranging from apprehension among the health staff to duplicity in data uploaded on Co-WIN platform, for the change in approach and reducing the daily target.
At least 20,380 healthcare workers of the 37,000 registered staff have received the first dose of the vaccines till Wednesday. The health department had carried out vaccinations at 80 to 101 vaccination sites over the last week.
On Wednesday, the number of sites was reduced to 21, with a target of inoculating only 1,050 healthcare workers, with as many as 895 taking the jabs. This included 66 beneficiaries of Covaxin, against the target of 100, and 829 of 950 who were allotted Covishield.
“Vaccination is a voluntary exercise. People can be motivated to come forward, but they cannot be given a shot forcefully. Therefore, it can be only expected that an additional 10% healthcare workers might turn up in the next few days, and the overall coverage of healthcare workers can go up to 65% or slightly more,” said Dr Virender Yadav, chief medical officer.
He said that total targets have been achieved at many of the sites, due to which they are no longer needed, and this would also prevent vaccine wastage. “In some hospitals, only a few people out of the targeted are left, for which multiple sites within the same facility are not required. Other issues, like duplicity in the data of vaccine beneficiaries, absence of staff in some hospitals, as they have switched over to other facilities or left the city before the vaccination started, also have to be counted. All this will also lead to a reduction in overall beneficiary numbers,” said Yadav.
{{/usCountry}}He said that total targets have been achieved at many of the sites, due to which they are no longer needed, and this would also prevent vaccine wastage. “In some hospitals, only a few people out of the targeted are left, for which multiple sites within the same facility are not required. Other issues, like duplicity in the data of vaccine beneficiaries, absence of staff in some hospitals, as they have switched over to other facilities or left the city before the vaccination started, also have to be counted. All this will also lead to a reduction in overall beneficiary numbers,” said Yadav.
{{/usCountry}}Vaccination at limited sites is likely to continue as scheduled until the department gets clarity on initiating inoculation of other prioritised groups like police personnel and urban local body officials.
{{/usCountry}}Vaccination at limited sites is likely to continue as scheduled until the department gets clarity on initiating inoculation of other prioritised groups like police personnel and urban local body officials.
{{/usCountry}}Dr MP Singh, district immunisation officer, said, “On Thursday, vaccination will be held at 23 private hospitals and in at least 10 government facilities. Likewise, on January 29 and 30, there will be only 24 vaccination sites.”
He said that there will be no Covid-19 vaccination drive on January 31, February 2 and 3 as the health workers will be deployed for pulse polio drive.
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