Vaccinations on hold for 18-45 age group for third consecutive day

Covid-19 vaccinations for the 18-45 age group will remain suspended for a third consecutive day on Thursday at government health centres due to a shortage of vaccines

Covid-19 vaccinations for the 18-45 age group will remain suspended for a third consecutive day on Thursday at government health centres due to a shortage of vaccines. However, officials said that sufficient doses are available for those aged 45 and above at the government centres.

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“The department is yet to receive vaccine stock from the state health department for the inoculation of people aged 18 and above,” said Dr MP Singh, district immunisation officer.

Two big hospitals, Narayana Superspeciality in Sector 24 and Artemis Hospital in Sector 51, have also started vaccination drive in the last two days. Until now, only four hospitals, Fortis, Max, Medanta and Columbia Asia, were providing vaccines for the 18-45 age group.

Commander (retd) Navneet Bali, regional director, northern region, Narayana Health, said, “Vaccine has been purchased from the Serum Institute of India by our corporate office in Bangalore. For Gurugram, we have 10,000 doses. The target is to inoculate at least 1,000 people every day. It has been decided the hospital won’t charge any processing fee, and shots will be given at ₹650 instead of ₹900. This is our small way of fulfilling our commitment towards the nation’s goal of vaccinating maximum beneficiaries.”

According to the health department data, 708,768 doses have been administered in the district till now, of which 7,544 doses were administered on Wednesday. Over 7,781 people in the 18-45 age group took their vaccine shots at private hospitals. The health department held a special camp for widows in the 18-45 age bracket and inoculated 382 persons across the four blocks of the district.

Among those aged 45 and above, 1,712 people took their doses at government health centres, and 264 were inoculated at private facilities. About 95 healthcare workers and 310 front-line workers and their family members also took the vaccine shot.

In the last few days, various camps have been organised to cover high-risk population group. To cover people with physical disabilities, who are not enrolled under any social welfare schemes, the district administration is reaching out to them on social media. “A Google form has been generated and promoted on district administration’s social media platform asking people with physical disabilities to come forward. Till now, 92 people have registered, seeking the first dose of Covid-19 vaccine,” said Nayonika Basu, associate, Chief Minister’s Good Governance Associate (CMGGA).