Slow uptake of Corbevax, Chandigarh to limit number of jab centres

Naina Mishra

Chandigarh, March 20

As the Corbevax vaccination pace for 12 to 14-year-olds is slow in the city, the UT Health Department is going to discontinue the drive at most health and wellness centres to avoid wastage of vaccine.

As many as 431 children in the age group of 12 to 14 have received their first shot of the vaccine, which is only 0.96 per cent turnout so far. There are 45,000 children in this age group in the city.

The department had decided to start vaccination at the PGI, the GMCH, Sector 32, the GMSH, Sector 16, the civil hospitals in Sector 22, 45 and Mani Majra and all health and wellness centres to begin with. Yashpal Garg, Health Secretary, UT, said, “The response has improved from 37 shots on the first day to over 100 now. But, we are going to restrict vaccination at some health and wellness centres where the response is limited to avoid wastage. We are planning to vaccinate children at schools where there is maximum strength to enhance the coverage.”

The major issue with the corbevax vaccination is that each vial has 20 doses and to avoid wastage, 20 children must be present at a time so that the doses can be administered within hours of opening the vial. Many health facilities have been facing problem with a low turnout of children. Even if two to four children turn up, the remaining shots have to be used within four hours to avoid spoilage.

Not only this, the vaccination coverage among children in the 15 to 18 age group has also been slow lately. Around 20 per cent children are yet to receive their first dose of Covaxin and around 21,000 children have missed their second dose already after the passing of one month from the first dose. Health officials feel achieving the target among children is a challenge and schools need to cooperate to improve the rate.