Centre flags Chandigarh’s poor vax coverage

Amit Bathla

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 4

The Centre has underlined the poor Covid vaccine coverage of the top priority group in Chandigarh.

As per data shared by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the UT finds itself in a group of 11 states that have covered 30 per cent or less of healthcare workers in the vaccination drive.

On the list, it is placed fifth with only 22.60 per cent coverage, followed by Dadra and Nagar Haveli (21 per cent), Assam (20.20 per cent), Nagaland (19.60 per cent), Meghalaya (15.20 per cent), Manipur (12.80 per cent) and Puducherry (12.60 per cent).

Till February 3, the UT could only vaccinate its 4,440 healthcare workers against a target of 20,000 medical professionals.

On Wednesday, only 314 healthcare workers received the jab against a target of 1,000, registering a coverage rate of just 31.4 percent.

Only 42.8 per cent of the 500 targeted beneficiaries had turned up at the five session sites in the city on Tuesday.

So far, the UT has operationalised 12 vaccination sites. The number of the sites and sessions vary every day.

Though the UT is still battling to improve its vaccination coverage among health workers, the Administration on Wednesday began immunising its frontline workers.

The first day of the second priority group’s vaccination, too, witnessed a lukewarm response with only 44 per cent of the targeted beneficiaries being inoculated.

When contacted over the phone, UT Home Secretary Arun Gupta said, “The exercise is voluntary and a matter of ‘personal decision’ for people whether to get a shot or not. Vaccine hesitancy could be more in Chandigarh. That is why the drive turnout is low.”

He hung up before this correspondent could enquire about the steps the UT plans to take to improve the coverage.