Chandigarh Administration closes vax booking for 18+

Chandigarh, May 25

The city is left with only 8,800 doses of Covishield for the 18-44 age group. This has prompted the UT Administration to go easy on opening more slots for vaccination.

The UT has also stopped bookings for these beneficiaries after June 4 till new doses are received.

Earlier, the UT Administration had announced opening up to 4,000 slots per day for this age group. It lasted only a day when over 3,000 beneficiaries were vaccinated. The decision was later withdrawn due to a shortage of the vaccine.

Arun Gupta, Principal Secretary, Home, UT, said, “The Administration is not expecting any new doses till May-end. Online appointments have already been given according to the available doses. We will provide slots for booking only when new doses arrive. The average number of 18 beneficiaries vaccinated daily is over 1,500 now.”

Besides, the UT is also not going to proceed with the on-site registration of beneficiaries below 45 years of age due to the vaccine shortage. Those who cannot register online can visit a vaccination centre and seek help in booking a slot.

As many as 23,521 beneficiaries in the 18-44 age group have been administered the first dose of Covishield. A total of 3,23,329 doses have been given in the UT so far.

Around 70 per cent of healthcare workers and 74 per cent of frontline workers have been vaccinated so far. The wastage of the vaccine has been only 0.9 per cent. — TNS