Ghaziabad, Noida aim to inoculate 140k today

The district health departments in Ghaziabad and Gautam Budh Nagar are geared up for inoculating over 140,000 people against Covid-19 in a single-day mega vaccination drive to be held on Tuesday

The district health departments in Ghaziabad and Gautam Budh Nagar are geared up for inoculating over 140,000 people against Covid-19 in a single-day mega vaccination drive to be held on Tuesday. While Ghaziabad has a target of administering about 90,000 people, GB Nagar plans to vaccinate at least 54,000 beneficiaries, health officials said on Monday.

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In Ghaziabad, the officials said that they have created 167 Covid vaccination centres (CVCs) across the district for the purpose. Walk-in registration facility will also be available at all the CVCs, they said.

“The drive is aimed at capacity building, besides testing our manpower and resource availability. The main purpose is to achieve better vaccination coverage before any likely third wave,” said Dr Bhavtosh Shankhdhar, chief medical officer (CMO) of Ghaziabad.

However, the CMO said that the department has a stock of about 75,000-80,000 doses. “Out of the target, we will try to achieve administration of about 75,000 doses on Tuesday. The vaccination will be open for all the age group categories. Once we get more stock, we will try to enhance our daily vaccination numbers as well,” he said.

The Meerut divisional health department officials said that all the six districts -- Ghaziabad, GB Nagar, Meerut, Bulandshahr, Hapur and Baghpat -- have been provided with a cumulative 3.5 lakh doses for the Tuesday’s vaccination drive.

Previously, the Ghaziabad district achieved its single-day highest vaccination of administering 31,026 doses on July 6.

“For the mega drive on Tuesday, we have chalked out a list of 167 centres that also include premises of schools and colleges, community centres, and residential colonies,” said Dr GP Mathuria, nodal officer for Covid-19 vaccination.

On routine days of vaccination, the district is operating with 50-65 Covid vaccination centres per day.

In GB Nagar, officials said 155 new CVCs will be made operational, in addition to 42 already running, for the drive. The district has received 54,000 vaccine doses on Monday morning for the drive, they said, adding that the slots for the same will start showing on the CoWIN portal by Monday evening.

“A total of 197 CVCs will administer the doses, with each having a capacity of administering 250-300 doses. The new vaccination centres will be created at government schools and community centres,” said Dr Neeraj Tyagi, district immunization officer, GB Nagar.

Since July, the GB Nagar health department has been vaccinating less than 10,000 people a day due to shortage of vaccine, the officials said. Previously, the district achieved its single-day highest vaccination of 21,380 people on July 24.

“Vaccinations are being done in the district as per stock availability. We plan to administer over 50,000 doses on Tuesday. We will try to increase the district’s daily vaccination as well, provided we get the required stock,” said Dr Sunil Kumar Sharma, chief medical officer, GB Nagar.

Of the 155 new CVCs, 25 are in Jewar block, 30 each in Dadri and Dankaur, and 70 in Bisrakh, he added.

According to the figures of the Co-WIN portal, Uttar Pradesh has administered 48,795,262 doses. Of them, Ghaziabad and GB Nagar have administered 1,472,546 and 1,612,122 doses, respectively, till Monday.

Experts said that the mega drive will help increase the vaccination coverage.

“It will help encourage more people to take up vaccine. If such drive is taken up at regular intervals, it will also have a preventive effect before any likelihood of a third wave,” said Dr Ashish Agarwal, president of the Indian Medical Association (Ghaziabad chapter).

Echoing similar views, Dr NK Sharma, president of IMA (Noida chapter), said, “If we are able to achieve even 10,000 less than the target, it will be an achievement for the district. It will help protect the people from any imminent third wave of Covid-19.”