Vishav Bharti
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, May 26
The Covid vaccination drive for health workers was started across the country over four months ago, but in Punjab, around 28 per cent of them are yet to get even the first dose. Similarly, around 10 per cent of the frontline workers are yet to be vaccinated.
Additional Health Secretary Dr Manohar Agnani, in a letter to the state, said so far the Centre had supplied 49.13 lakh doses, of which 47.87 lakh doses were consumed.
“An analysis of the vaccination drive for priority groups reveals that till date 27.82 per cent of the registered healthcare workers and 9.67 of frontline workers have not received the first dose,” he said.
The state is also lagging behind in vaccinating other groups as well. For the 45-plus age group, the first dose coverage in Punjab is 30.04 per cent against the national average of 33.7 per cent.
The Centre has requested the state to accelerate the inoculations using the Centre’s supply for 45-plus age group and direct procurement for 18-44 age group.
For the past two months, the state has been seeking adequate supply of vaccines. It says it has infrastructure to administer 3 lakh doses a day, but due to shortage, it is able to give just 60,000-70,000 doses per day.
Covid: 28 per cent health workers in Punjab yet to be inoculated
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