The Tamil Nadu government said on Sunday that 90% of people who died due to the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) in the state in the last two months, did not even get a single vaccine dose against the viral disease, according to news agency PTI.
Addressing reporters after inspecting the fourth mega vaccination camp in the capital city of Chennai, J Radhakrishnan, the principal secretary of the health and family welfare department, told reporters that vaccination is the prime strategy to combat Covid-19.
“In government-run hospitals during the last two months, 90% of deaths occurred because the patient did not get vaccinated even partially,” Radhakrishnan said. He also added that patients who are in the intensive care unit after they were detected Covid-19 positive, are among those who have not received the jab at all.
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The principal secretary of the health department also said that in the last two months, 7.4% of Covid deaths in government hospitals were those people who received only the first vaccine while 3.6% were fully vaccinated, i.e received both doses. “The severity of the virus was high on people who have not been vaccinated. And those who died after receiving both the shots was not only due to Covid-19 but due to other health complications,” he further told reporters.
{{/usCountry}}The principal secretary of the health department also said that in the last two months, 7.4% of Covid deaths in government hospitals were those people who received only the first vaccine while 3.6% were fully vaccinated, i.e received both doses. “The severity of the virus was high on people who have not been vaccinated. And those who died after receiving both the shots was not only due to Covid-19 but due to other health complications,” he further told reporters.
{{/usCountry}}Authorities in Tamil Nadu have so far administered 47,698,052 vaccines to eligible beneficiaries. Of these, 36,259,199 have received the first dose and the remaining 11,438,853 have received both doses. On Sunday, the state government conducted its fourth-ever vaccination drive. Health minister M Subramanian said on Friday that the government aims to inoculate 15 million beneficiaries in October. Last month, 14.2 million beneficiaries were vaccinated in Tamil Nadu.
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Meanwhile, Principal secretary of the health department J Radhakrishnan also told reporters on Sunday that it has become challenging to vaccinate residents above the age of 60 because of vaccine hesitancy and urged people under this age group to make use of the mega vaccination camps. He also said that only 42% of people above 60 have received vaccination against Covid-19 till now.
(With PTI inputs)