All is not well

Speeding up the vaccination pace is the key to defeating, or, at least, weakening the dreaded effects of coronavirus that continues to wreak havoc and outpace anti-Covid-19 efforts with its ever-mutating variants. While countries like Israel and the US have started administering the third booster shot against the dominant delta variant, sadly, many parts of India are still struggling to give the first and second shots. Eight months after mid-January, when the vaccination drive began, the recent fanfare behind hitting the milestone of 60 crore jabs loses much of its sheen in view of some worrying prospects: at the current rate, achieving the target of 100 per cent coverage by the year-end would require the rate of an ambitious one crore shots per day. But, given the insufficient infrastructure, overshooting the December 31 date seems more likely, unless all states spruce up their act.

On this score, Punjab fares poorly, rendering its people more vulnerable to the ominous third wave, predicted to be around the corner. Even as the Congress-ruled state has been crying foul over the distribution of vaccines by the BJP-led Centre, its own district-wise skewed ratio of inoculation provides little protection from the dreaded virus. The widely swinging pendulum — from Mohali’s 71 per cent population coverage to Ferozepur’s 11.71 per cent (either single or both doses) — begs course correction. Free movement of people between districts and states increases the hazard of contracting the infection. Only universal coverage can act as a shield.

The poor show in Punjab is also bound to particularly impact its neighbouring states, even though they rank high in the vaccination order. Interestingly, Himachal Pradesh tops the country and is poised for 100 per cent coverage by October, provided it maintains the daily deliverance of one lakh doses. Similarly, Chandigarh is aiming for full immunisation of adults in October. Currently, 100 per cent of its 18-plus population has received the first dose and 34 per cent both doses. Haryana, which received more vaccines than Punjab, has jabbed nearly 51 per cent residents with one dose and 14 per cent fully.

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