Tepid response on Day 1: 955 get booster shot in Chandigarh

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 10

The response to the booster dose remained low on the first day as only 955 beneficiaries turned up for it. Among them, 82 were frontline workers, while 362 were healthcare workers. Among the elderly, 511 beneficiaries took the precaution dose.

According to UT estimates, the target population of 60 years plus with comorbidities is 15,600, while the number of healthcare and frontline workers is 26,237 and 22,438, respectively.

There has to be a gap of nine months (39 weeks) from the date of administration of the second dose for the booster dose. As the vaccine for the booster dose is the same as the first and second dose, the Covishield vaccine is being used in Chandigarh.

The beneficiaries can get the dose at vaccination centres for persons aged 18 years and above. They will be given preference at all such centres over persons coming for the first or the second dose.

Schools warned over vaccine wastage at camps

The UT Health Department has issued a warning to principals of government schools not to waste vaccine doses and ensure that students are informed about vaccination drives at schools.

Special vaccination camps are being arranged at schools in close coordination with the Education Department. The department has observed that in some schools, many students were not informed by the school authorities about the vaccination camps and the vaccination was quite low, which resulted in wastage of precious resources of the Health Department. UT Health Secretary Yashpal Garg wrote to all heads of government schools stating that, "Though the ongoing Covid vaccination is voluntary, it is our duty to inform each and every eligible child about the available option of vaccination. All principals of schools (government and private) in Chandigarh are directed to inform all students enrolled in their schools (in the age group of 15 to 18) about the available option of vaccination. In case of non-compliance with these directions, appropriate action will be taken against them under provisions of the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897."

127 given precautionary dose in Mohali

Mohali: A total of 127 booster doses were administered to eligible beneficiaries in the district on Monday. As many as 86 beneficiaries in the 60-plus age category were given the booster dose while 11 frontline workers were also jabbed. In the healthcare category, 30 were jabbed. In Dera Bassi, 21 beneficiaries were administered the booster dose. In the 15 to 18 age group, 1,462 vaccinations were done, taking the overall count to 7,977. As many as 5,523 got the first dose today in the district, while the second dose was administered to 4,216. TNS

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