Over 157,000 get Covid vaccine jabs in Delhi as drive picks up

The city also added 288 new vaccination sites on Thursday, taking the number of sites in the city to 1,374, all of which are now open to people of all ages.

The national capital on Thursday administered a record 157,060 doses of coronavirus vaccines, as the inoculation programme in Delhi kept up its upward momentum, days after a new phase of the drive kicked off across the country.

The Delhi government on Wednesday said it removed age restrictions from vaccination sites. (HT Photo)

The city also added 288 new vaccination sites on Thursday, taking the number of sites in the city to 1,374, all of which are now open to people of all ages.

The Delhi government on Wednesday said it removed age restrictions from vaccination sites, which were previously exclusively for either the 18-45 or 45-plus age bracket, after the Centre began procuring and supplying all shots.

Wednesday saw Delhi administer over 100,000 vaccine doses in a day for the first time. Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Atishi on Thursday said Delhi has so far given 25% of its population aged between 18 and 45 at least one dose of a vaccine.

“There has been an increase in supplies available for the younger age bracket, because vaccine stocks for both groups have now been clubbed,” said Atishi, the AAP legislator from Kalkaji.

So far, 5,172,606 people in the Capital have got at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, while 1,625,630 have received both.

The state government on Thursday also said it has planned a vaccination drive for the city’s homeless Friday onwards, beginning with central district’s Yamuna Pushta, which houses several homeless shelters.

“The government started the Jahan Vote, Wahin Vaccine campaign earlier, focussing on those above the age of 45. With more than 70% of the people in the age group already immunised [with at least one dose], the response was not great despite all our outreach efforts. Once the vaccination centres were opened up for the young, the numbers shot up because they were enthusiastic and waiting for the vaccine to become available,” said a senior administration official from Shahdara district.

Another official from south-west district added that walk-ins have proved to be a popular choice.

“Several people prefer walk-ins, and centres have started seeing more and more people coming in since centres began to allow them at the start of the week,” said the official.

These vaccination sites in the Capital can administer over 226,000 shots a day, and districts said they have planned to open more such centres once Delhi receives more shots.

“The supply of vaccines has improved over the past week, and bulk supplies are likely soon, as companies increase their production. The plan is to administer 300,000 shots a day; we have planned accordingly. The sites will be started as more vaccines become available,” said a third district official.

India’s vaccine drive began on January 16, for health care workers, expanded to include all front-line workers on February 1, and then, everyone over the age of 60 years and people over the age of 45 with co-morbidities, on March 1. On April 1, it was further expanded to include everyone over the age of 45. Then, in response to demand from states and people, the drive was opened up further, to everyone over the age of 18 years, although states were told they would have to pay for the vaccines of those between the ages of 18 and 45. Private hospitals were also allowed to offer vaccinations. However, with supplies constrained, the drive faltered. The country’s Supreme Court too termed the approach “arbitrary”, forcing a rethink.

On June 7, Prime Minister Modi announced that the Centre would again be in charge of sourcing and supplying vaccines. It would, he added, buy 75% of locally available vaccines, with the remainder being reserved for private hospitals. And it would bear the cost of the entire 75%, he added.

The new phase of the vaccine drive comes even as cases of Covid-19 are declining in the country, with the ebbing of the second wave.

The Delhi government’s vaccination bulletin on Thursday said the city currently has 20 days’ stock of Covaxin and nine days of Covishield. Delhi received more than 68,000 Covaxin doses and 80,000 Covishield doses on Wednesday.

However, the government is limiting Covaxin jabs to those due for a second dose.

“We will need the current stock of Covaxin for those who were given their first shot in May,” said a fourth official.