Health department plans mega vaccination drive in Lko on Sept 6

LUCKNOW : Buoyed by the impressive increase in vaccination in the state capital, the health department has now planned another mega vaccination campaign here on Monday.

“The target is to administer one lakh doses on September 6,” the chief medical officer Dr Manoj Agarwal said on Thursday.

The vaccination numbers have been steadily increasing.

In January it took 98 days to administer 5 lakh doses of Covid vaccine to beneficiaries in Lucknow whereas it took just 24 days to administer similar number of doses in August, as per a report of the state’s health department.

“This was possible because of increase in vaccination centres, cluster approach and mega vaccination camps that boosted confidence and removed myths around vaccine. All this made more people take the jab,” a health official said.

Vaccination started on January 16 and by April 21 Lucknow had administered only 5 lakh doses of the Covid vaccine, including both first and second dose. “On August 3, the state capital had reached 20 lakh doses mark and in next 24-days, (till August 27), another 5 lakh doses were administered. This indicates how vaccination has gone up in the district,” the CMO said.

“Increase in vaccination numbers is also due to participation of youths in the drive. Vaccination for elderly was started weeks after vaccination for health workers and frontline workers and over 15 lakhs of them have been vaccinated. Youths in the age group of 18 to 45 years are not far behind with over 7.5 lakh doses administered to them since May,” said Dr Abhishek Shukla, secretary general association of international doctors.