18+ priority groups to get jabs from Monday

Over 35 lakh beneficiaries register in Punjab, inoculation to begin with only 1 lakh doses

CHANDIGARH/AMRITSAR : The third and the largest phase of vaccination, under which beneficiaries in the 18-45 age group will be given jabs against coronavirus, will begin in Punjab on Monday.

Chairing a review meeting, chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Friday asked officials to be ready to vaccinate priority groups in the 18-45 age category from Monday as the state is expected to receive one lakh doses of coronavirus vaccine from the Serum Institute of India (SII) by weekend.

The state government has identified construction workers, teachers, government employees and those with co-morbidities as high-risk individuals in the 18-45 age group for priority vaccination. Vaccination of co-morbid categories will be planned by deputy commissioners and only advance registration and slotting of vaccination site will be allowed.

The state government had ordered 30 lakh vaccine doses from the SII for the Phase 3 vaccination and the Centre has allocated 3.3 lakh doses to Punjab for May.

1,550 18+ beneficiaries inoculated

Over 35 lakh beneficiaries in the 18-45 age group have registered in the state on the COWIN app since April 28 for taking the vaccine shot in the third phase of vaccination, but the drive will start for only co-morbid people, constriction workers, teachers and government employees.

The Punjab government had deferred the third phase of the vaccination drive in government vaccination centres, which was scheduled to start from May 1 as was announced by the central government, citing “‘shortage of doses”.

Meanwhile, 1,550 people in this age group have already got vaccinated in private hospitals, data available with the health department revealed.

“Till now, over 35 lakh beneficiaries have registered for the vaccination in 18+ category but they will have to wait for few more days to get the jabs as the drive will start with the limited vaccine stock. We are expecting second batch of 2 lakh Covishield doses from the SII next week,” said Dr Rajesh Bhaskar, state nodal officer for Covid-19.

Vaccine shortage hits drive

The state health department says that the erratic supply of vaccine doses from the Centre has hit the inoculation drive in Punjab, resulting in spread of the infection.

In last seven days, state could administer the first dose of vaccine to only 1,44,779 beneficiaries (health care workers, frontline warriors and 45+ age group), with average of only 20,683 people per day. During the period, 79,500 people got the second dose of vaccine.

“The vaccination shortage has badly hit the drive in Punjab as we are unable to administer jabs to even registered beneficiaries. After receiving 1.5 lakh doses on Thursday, we were left with just 2 lakh doses on Friday morning while the stock was used on Friday’s drive too. Also, 35 lakh people in 18+ category are also waiting for the doses in absence of the stock”, Dr Bhaskar said.

CONSTRUCTION WORKERS, TEACHERS, THOSE WITH CO-MORBIDITIES IN 18-45 AGE GROUP IDENTIFIED AS HIGH-RISK INDIVIDUALS FOR PRIORITY VACCINATION