Covid: 1.86 lakh beneficiaries default on second dose in Chandigarh

Tribune News Service

Naina Mishra

Chandigarh, May 2

Even as the fear of a fourth Covid wave looms, around 1.86 lakh beneficiaries who took their first dose in Chandigarh have defaulted on the second dose of the Covid-19 vaccine.

Around 10,85,446 adults have taken their first dose of Covishield in Chandigarh. Of which, 8,98,873 persons have completed their full immunisation schedule while 1,86,573 are yet to get their second dose.

The UT Health Secretary, Yashpal Garg, said, “These beneficiaries may have been from outside Chandigarh but had taken their first dose in Chandigarh. They are yet to take their second dose. However, it cannot be inferred that they are from the city only. All vaccine administered in Chandigarh, irrespective of whether person belongs to the the city or not is counted as Chandigarh’s vaccine data only.”

Dr Rajeev Jayadevan, co-chairman of the Indian Medical Association’s (IMA) national task force on coronavirus, said, “The difference between natural infections and vaccination is that all natural infections do not induce the same level of systemic immune response, partly because some infections are silent and confined to nasal mucosa. In contrast, vaccines induce systemic immune response because they are systemically injected.

The UT Administration is currently pressing upon the teen vaccination and has organised a number of camps in schools to boost their vaccination coverage. The unvaccinated children are also barred from entering schools and attending classes, except for examinations and practical.

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