74.43% health workers in UP get Covid vaccine jabs in round four
Highest turnout of beneficiaries (105.29%) in Balrampur, lowest (38.96%) in Firozabad; 141 cases of adverse event reported across state
LUCKNOW : The fourth round of the Covid-19 vaccination campaign was conducted smoothly at 1,537 vaccination centres in Uttar Pradesh on Thursday with 1,68,834 health workers (74.43%) out of the targeted 2,26,833 getting the jabs till 5pm, according to official data.
The health department organised 2,076 vaccination sessions in all the 75 districts of the state to inoculate health workers. UP had received consignments of 10,55,500 Covishield and 20,000 Covaxin doses. Covishield vaccine was given in all the 75 districts while Covaxin dose was administered in only nine districts, said officials.
Five districts reported the highest turnout of beneficiaries – Balrampur (105.29%), Mahoba (99.85%), Siddharth Nagar (98.69%), Unnao (98.22%) and Barabanki (96.99%) whereas the five districts that saw the lowest turnout included – Firozabad (38.96%), Bijnore (52.43%), Aligarh (54.13%), Moradabad (56.28%) and Muzaffarnagar (56.36%).
As many as 141 cases of adverse event after immunisation (AEFI) were reported across UP. All the beneficiaries were kept under observation. They were healthy and safe, said Amit Mohan Prasad, additional chief secretary, health and family welfare.
The health workers, including doctors, nurses, laboratory technicians, ward boys, drivers as well as private medical practitioners were also given Covid vaccine jabs. The beneficiaries who got the vaccine dose on Friday will be given the second dose on February 26, he said.
The fifth and sixth rounds of the Covid vaccination for health workers will be organised on February 4 and 5 in all the 75 districts while vaccination of the frontline workers will be launched on February 5.
The health department had planned to complete the Covid vaccination of health and frontline workers on March 25 with giving the second dose to the beneficiaries, said Prasad.
After giving the second dose to the health and frontline workers, the health Department will launch the drive to give Covid vaccine dose to people above 50 years, according to the guidelines issued by the central government, he added.
People can contact the state government’s helpline number 104 and central government’s helpline number 1075 regarding any problem associated with the Covid vaccination, he said.
Prasad said messages were sent to the health workers who were listed for the vaccination and their names were uploaded on the Co-WIN portal.
Health workers who were not suffering from any disease were given either of the two vaccines — Covishield or Covaxin. Enthusiasm was witnessed among health workers across the state as they came in large numbers to get the vaccine, added Prasad.
Health workers who missed the dose in the first, second and third rounds had been told to get themselves vaccinated in the next round to be held on February 4 and 5, he said.