Chandigarh vax pace hits 6-week low

Naina Mishra

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 18

Even as Covid cases have started rising in the UT, the pace of vaccination has not gathered the much-needed pace as 1,85,724 people still have their second dose of the vaccine due.

According to the data provided by the UT Health Department, 1,46,960 people have their second dose overdue as they missed the maximum gap from the first dose, while 38,764 beneficiaries have not turned up yet even as the minimum interval required between two doses has passed.

This week, vaccination against Covid-19 was at the lowest in the past six weeks. After picking up pace in the week ending December 3 by administering 31,547 doses and 33,697 doses in the following week, the vaccination rate dropped to 24,604 in the week ending December 17.

On the eve of the Independence Day, the UT had achieved 100 per cent vaccination target for the first dose. Given the 84-day gap, most of the beneficiaries must have taken their second shot by November. However, the second dose vaccination rate stands at 80 per cent in Chandigarh. On the recommendations by the National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for Covid-19 (NEGVAC), the schedule of Covishield vaccine under the national Covid-19 vaccination strategy is to administer the second dose at an interval of 12-16 weeks (i.e. after 84 days) after the first dose.

The UT Health Department has been repeatedly appealing to local residents that they have sufficient doses of the vaccine and people should come forward to get themselves vaccinated.

On December 13, 1,86,170 doses of Covishield were available with the department.