INOCULATION SLOWS DOWN IN UP POST 2ND COVID WAVE
: As Uttar Pradesh gears up for the third phase of Covid vaccination for people above 18 years from May 1, vaccination data released by the health and family welfare department indicates that the surge in Covid cases has slowed down the vaccination drive for beneficiaries above 45 years.
Till early April, average 3 lakh vaccine doses were given to the beneficiaries daily in the state. On April 12, a record 5 lakh jabs were given to people at vaccination centres set up in 75 districts. To give boost to the vaccination drive, the state government organized ‘Teeka Utsav’ from April 11 to 14. The health and family welfare department was directed to set the target of 5 lakh jabs daily.
LUCKNOW: As Uttar Pradesh gears up for the third phase of Covid vaccination for people above 18 years from May 1, vaccination data released by the health and family welfare department indicates that the surge in Covid cases has slowed down the vaccination drive for beneficiaries above 45 years.
Till early April, average 3 lakh vaccine doses were given to the beneficiaries daily in the state. On April 12, a record 5 lakh jabs were given to people at vaccination centres set up in 75 districts. To give boost to the vaccination drive, the state government organized ‘Teeka Utsav’ from April 11 to 14. The health and family welfare department was directed to set the target of 5 lakh jabs daily.
According to the health and family welfare department data, till March 31, 46.75 lakh people were given first dose and 9.90 lakh second dose, taking the total tally of the vaccine doses to 56.65 lakh since the launch of the vaccination drive on January 16. When the state government mobilized its machinery to motivate more people to take the jab on April 14, the data increased to 83.49 lakh people receiving first dose and 13.93 lakh second dose. The total tally was 97.42 lakh.
On April 21, Uttar Pradesh crossed the 1 crore vaccination tally with 92.44 lakh people getting the first dose and 16.89 lakh the second dose. The data indicates slump in the daily dose from 3 lakh to 1.50 lakh to 2 lakh doses daily. On April 21, the total vaccination tally was 1.11 crore doses, on April 22- 1.12 crore, April 23- 1.14 crore, April 24- 1.16 crore, April 25- 1.17 crore, April 26- 1.17 crore and on April 28 the total vaccination tally was 1.20 crore since the launch of the drive on January 16.
Director general, family welfare, Dr Rakesh Dubey said with increase in the Covid infection after the second wave, the people were cautious about moving out of their houses and this might be a reason for the low turnout of beneficiaries at vaccination centres.
To note, the state government has launched a massive awareness campaign, urging the people to get inoculated as the vaccine as its works as a protective shield against infection. The study shows that people who have taken the dose are not getting critical after infection and no fatality has been reported. In the urban hubs, the vaccination rate was likely to increase with the launch of the third phase of vaccination drive on May 1, Dr Dubeysaid.
A health department officer said with the increase in Covid infection after the second wave, the ASHA workers and ANMs who were motivating the people in the rural areas for vaccination had been entrusted with the task of surveillance. They were visiting households to survey the infected people and collect the details of migrants arriving from other states. Several health workers who were deputed in the vaccination programme were infected with SARS- CoV-2 and in home isolation, leading to slowing down of the vaccination programme, he said.