Free boosters for adults start at PMC centres

The response according to health department officials was satisfactory on the first day and vaccination was held at 68 PMC centres

The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), on Friday, started administering free booster doses for all beneficiaries above the age of 18 years. The response according to health department officials was satisfactory on the first day and vaccination was held at 68 PMC centres.

The Centre announced on Wednesday free Covid-19 vaccine booster doses for all adults at government-run centres from July 15 for 75 days as part of its Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations. (Shankar Narayan/HT PHOTO)

Dr Suryakant Deokar, immunisation officer with the health department of the PMC, said that there is sufficient vaccine stock with the department.

“We have over 30,000 vaccine doses with us. We have a stock of 22,000 Covishield and 19,000 Covaxin doses with us. The state machinery also has stock with them and so the supply of vaccines will be regular,” said Dr Deokar.

Dr Nitin Ambadekar, state joint director of health services (procurement cell and hospitals) and now has additional charge as director of health services, said that the state health department has sufficient stock of vaccines.

“There are 2,780,070 doses of Covishield and 3,442,970 doses of Covaxin with the state government. We have directed the district health department to utilise vaccines before they near their expiry date,” said Dr Ambadekar.

Free Covid-19 precaution dose will be administered to all the citizens above 18 years of age at government vaccination centres, from 15th July 2022 till the next 75 days.

So far, precaution dose vaccination was free for only healthcare workers, frontline workers and beneficiaries above the age of 60 years at government-run centres. Private vaccination centres administered the vaccine to the beneficiaries between the age group of 18 to 60 years which was paid for by the beneficiaries.

So far with precaution doses only at private hospitals, booster dose coverage in Pune district for the age group between 18 to 44 years was just 2.4 per cent. Whereas for the 44 to 60 years of age group the coverage for booster dose was just 3.5 per cent.

According to the district health department, there are 117450 Covishield doses and 43810 Covaxin doses available with the district.

According to the state health department, between July 7 to July 13, 3,006 cases were reported in Pune district and between 30 June to July 6, 3273 cases were reported in Purn district.

Pune is also reporting the highest number of active cases in the State. Active positive cases in Pune district are 6,222 on July 13 which was the highest across Maharashtra, said the health department.

The weekly positivity of the district is also on the higher side as compared to State. Pune district reported a weekly positivity rate of 28.49 per cent which was also the highest across Maharashtra. The weekly positivity rate of Maharashtra till July 13 was 7.45 per cent.