Aug saw max vaccination, Sept heading for new record in Punjab

Nitin Jain

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, September 27

The ongoing Covid vaccination drive has been picking up pace as August saw maximum jabs during a month, while September was heading to set a new record, the government has confirmed.

While 40,55,207 eligible beneficiaries were inoculated last month, which was the highest count since the vaccination took off in January, the state has set a target to cover another 41,63,150 persons aged above 18 years during this month, the official figures have revealed.

Ludhiana, being the biggest and largest district in terms of area and population, has been leading the state with the maximum administration of 29,21,711 jabs till September 26. This was almost 80 per cent coverage of the eligible beneficiaries with at least single dose in the district. While almost 21 lakh people have taken a single shot, over 8 lakh recipients have got both the jabs so far.

The month-wise vaccination coverage compiled by the Health and Family Welfare Department, a copy of which is available with The Tribune, revealed that as many as 36,10,009 doses of Covishield and 4,45,198 shots of Covaxin were given in the state during August, while 35,78,580 jabs of Covishield and 5,84,570 doses of Covaxin have been allocated to the state by the Centre for September.

Earlier, the state administered 55,461 doses of Covishield and only 37 of Covaxin in January, 1,44,984 Covishield and 388 Covaxin in February, 7,91,570 Covishield and 77,057 Covaxin in March, 23,14,688 Covishield and 2,32,924 Covaxin in April, 12,73,475 Covishield and 1,45,236 Covaxin in May, 15,63,523 Covishield and 3,63,712 Covaxin in June, and 21,58,933 Covishield and 3,89,080 Covaxin in July.

With this, the state will give 1,54,91,223 Covishield and 31,78,622 Covaxin doses to the eligible population till the end of September.

The age-wise percentage of population vaccinated in the state so far includes 80 per cent persons aged 60 years and above with first dose and 39 per cent with second dose, 66 per cent 45 years and above with first and 27 per cent second jab, 43 per cent 18 years and above with first and 5 per cent with second shot.

The overall coverage comprised 57 per cent with first dose and 18 per cent with second jab.

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