Panchkula people rush to get vaccine as deadline nears

Amit Bathla

Tribune News Service

Panchkula, December 27

As the deadline for mandatory Covid vaccine (January 1) draws near, people in the district are turning up at vaccination centres in large numbers to get the vaccine. Over 6,000 people were inoculated against Covid-19 on Monday. Out of this, 4,261 beneficiaries were due for second dose.

The Haryana Government had recently announced to ban the entry of unvaccinated people and eligible beneficiaries who are not fully vaccinated at public places from January 1.

As Covid complacency gripped people, average daily vaccination figure started coming down in the district.

After the state government’s announcement of mandatory vaccination on December 22, the next day (December 22) saw a total of 3,763 people turning up for vaccination, which was the highest single-day figure after November 15.

It further went up to 4,446 on December 24 and plummeted to 2,702 on Christmas. From December 16 to 22, the district saw an average 2,200 people getting vaccinated daily.

Though the district attained 100 per cent first dose vaccine coverage in September, second dose coverage is still 86.9 per cent. Of 4.79 lakh beneficiaries, who have received the first dose, around 93,000 are yet to take their second dose.

Amid Omicron scare, the Health Department wants the entire eligible population to be fully vaccinated.

The mandatory vaccine rule has now given new hopes to the district Health Department for improvement in vaccine figures.

Dr Meenu Sasan, District Immunisation Officer, said she expects that the vaccine pace would pick up steam now.

“People had become complacent towards the virus and weren’t coming forward for vaccine. The mandatory vaccine rule has definitely left them with no option but to take the vaccine. It is important to be fully vaccinated to increase protection against the virus,” she said.

The district has ample vaccine stock. At present, the district has 1.35 lakh doses of Covishield and 34,000 doses of Covaxin in its kitty.

Stock available

The district has ample vaccine stock. At present, the district has 1.35 lakh doses of Covishield and 34,000 doses of Covaxin in its kitty.

Important to be fully vaccinated

People had become complacent towards the virus and weren’t coming forward for vaccine. The mandatory vaccine rule has definitely left them with no option but to take the vaccine. It is important to be fully vaccinated to increase protection against the virus. — Dr Meenu Sasan, District Immunisation Officer