60% frontline workers fail to turn up for the jab in Prayagraj
PRAYAGRAJ : Only 3,091 frontline workers could be vaccinated against a target of 7,666 persons - a dismal 40.32% - in the second session of Phase-2 of the vaccination exercise, in Prayagraj, on Thursday.
The vaccination was undertaken at 48 vaccination centres including 20 in rural areas and 28 in urban areas of the district. However, a large number of security personnel belonging to CRPF, PAC and police were either deputed in Magh Mela area owing to it being Mauni Amavasya or even in other districts, and as a result, could not report to vaccination centres which contributed to a low turnout, said Rishi Sahai, ACMO (immunisation) overseeing the Covid-19 vaccination exercise in Prayagraj.
He said that as decided by the state government, Covaxin was administered in the district to individuals as part of the exercise and the entire process went smoothly. Sahai said that for the third session of Phase-2 of the vaccination exercise, set to take place on Friday, the target is to inoculate 8,853 persons. The vaccination will take place at 46 centres including 18 in rural areas. Between them, the vaccination centres will undertake a total of 73 vaccination sessions, he added.
Around 27,000 employees of various departments are to be vaccinated in phase-2 in Prayagraj. The exercise of vaccination under Phase-2 had formally begun on February 5. With the February 11 session now over and the third session scheduled for February 12, the fourth session of Phase-2 will take place on February 18. Those who are not vaccinated on these three days, will be administered the vaccine on February 22, the reserve day, informed Prabhakar Rai, chief medical officer (CMO), Prayagraj.
He said that the 27,000 individuals who are to be vaccinated in Phase-2 include 17,333 persons working in the defence services, police, CRPF, RAF, PAC and other security forces as well. Besides 1,510 employees of the revenue department, 4,320 employees of government departments like Prayagraj Nagar Nigam, district administration besides rural and urban development among others are on the list to be vaccinated against Covid-19 during this phase, he added.
However, the CMO said that the count of 27,000 was based on the list prepared so far. The numbers can rise further with fresh names being uploaded on the Co-Win portal as part of the process.