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Covid vaccination in full swing, crosses 22-lakh mark in UP
: Covid vaccines have been administered to 22,49,925 beneficiaries in Uttar Pradesh till now at an average of 41,665 per day since the inoculation started on January 16, according to the state health department data
: Covid vaccines have been administered to 22,49,925 beneficiaries in Uttar Pradesh till now at an average of 41,665 per day since the inoculation started on January 16, according to the state health department data.
While 17,11,376 beneficiaries have received their first dose, 5,38,549 got their second and final dose too. Among the second dose recipients are 5,12,107 health workers, who account for 68.1% of the 7,45,218 health workers who got the first dose.
Initially, Uttar Pradesh was vaccinating beneficiaries two days a week, but since the last week, six-day vaccination is being done.
The total beneficiaries include health workers, frontline workers, people above 60 years of age and those between 45 and 60 years with co-morbidity. About 9.5 lakh health workers were listed for the vaccination and officials said the target was almost achieved. In some cases, certain health workers did not fall in the category of those to be vaccinated due to health conditions.
“In certain, health conditions vaccination is not recommended. But not many health workers would be left out from vaccination in the state. We have almost achieved our target,” said a senior health official.
Efforts are also going on to increase the vaccination percentage among the elderly. In a recent order, the National Health mission has asked all the chief medical officers in the state to engage accredited social health activists (ASHAs) in the districts to motivate the elderly and those between 45 and 60 years of age with co-morbidity to get themselves vaccinated.
Experts said the elderly were showing enthusiasm in getting the vaccine jab and they just needed a smooth process and easy access.
“The elderly started making queries via phone call even before the vaccination in their category began. They are turning up in good numbers every day. Despite a holiday, 140 of them got the vaccine jab today (at one centre),” said Dr Abhishek Shukla, head of the Aastha Geriatric Centre, one of the private health centres facilitating vaccination in Lucknow.
Over 1,000 elderly took the anti-Covid shot on Thursday against a total count of 1378 beneficiaries, who reported to the vaccination centres in Lucknow on the day.
“The way the elderly are responding to vaccination, we hope to complete target for March without delay,” said Dr MK Singh, the officer incharge of vaccination in Lucknow.
