77% of those tested Covid-19 +ve in Chandigarh in November were fully vaccinated

Naina Mishra

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 12

About 77 per cent of the new cases of Covid reported from the city in November were fully vaccinated, as per the data shared by the UT health authorities. Only 10 per cent of those vaccinated and tested positive for the virus, including patients with co-morbidities, required hospitalisation.

However, the month also recorded zero fatalities due to Covid-19, which reiterated the fact that the vaccine reduced severity of the disease and hospitalisation of the patient.

Dr Suman Singh, Director, Health Services, said, “Vaccines do not stop transmission but reduces hospitalisation. We can deduce this from the fact that even as 77 per cent of the infected cases in November were fully vaccinated, there has been no death in the city due to Covid-19.”

While Omicron continued to pose a greater risk to the community, vaccine protection was still considered a safer bet against the new variant, said experts.

“The person from Italy, who has been detected with Omicron variant, has been asymptomatic throughout his course of coronavirus disease as he was fully vaccinated with Pfizer. All those residents who have not yet taken their second dose of the vaccine should get it without any delay,” added Dr Suman.

“Most patients who are fully vaccinated do not need hospitalisation. Those who are coming to our hospitals are those who have not taken any dose of the vaccine. Vaccines protect against severe disease,” she said.

According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, there is no evidence to suggest that existing vaccines do not work against Omicron. Some of the mutations reported on Spike gene may decrease the efficacy of the existing vaccines. However, vaccine protection is also by antibodies as well as by cellular immunity, which is expected to be relatively better preserved. Hence, vaccines are expected to still offer protection against severe disease and vaccination with the available vaccines is crucial.

Women candidates a force to reckon with this time

the Bahujan Samaj Party, the Samajwadi Party and Independents are also vying from unreserved seats.

BJP’s sitting councillor Sunita Dhawan, who is contesting from ward number 18, reserved for women, said, “Women are coming forward in every field. Some women, who come from political families, should become self-dependent after they come to the MC; then only can they understand the problems of the ward better.”

However, there is another side to the story. Many women candidates are disinterested in politics and are contesting only as their councillor husband’s ward has been reserved for women.

80% of UT residents double vaccinated

As much as 80 per cent of the city population has been fully immunised with the Covid vaccine, while 113.14 per cent of the target population has taken the first dose of the vaccine. Around 4,300 people are administered the shot daily in Chandigarh now.