No vaccines for 18+ yet, dedicated jab sites shut

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, June 11

Though vaccination for 18-44 age group was expected to commence on June 10 in the district, there is still no word on when the drive would begin. As many as 21,500 vaccine doses arrived in the district for the 45-plus category on Thursday and over 5,000 persons were inoculated in the district on the same day. Until Thursday, 5.64 lakh persons had been vaccinated in the district.

Meanwhile, of the three dedicated sites at Lyallpur Khalsa College, Garha and Maqsoodan, Covaxin is being administered to those above 18 only at Lyallpur Khalsa College.

District Immunisation Officer Dr Rakesh Chopra said: “The jabs for the 18 plus category haven’t arrived as yet. They are expected to arrive soon. Presently, people under the 45-plus category are being vaccinated across 60 sites. Beneficiaries above the age of 18 can only be vaccinated after the doses arrive. Also, some of the dedicated jab sites have been closed in the past two days.”

Sources said the Health Department had a bank of 1,000 to 2,000 doses of Covaxin (recalled from private session sites) and those too should be used to inoculate youth under a programme to vaccinate all above the age of 18 in the district.

Notably, 38,000 persons had been administered Covaxin in the district. The Health Department has 6,000 to 7,000 Covaxin doses with it which are being administered at some of the vaccination session sites. Sources said the vaccination scenario will be clearer after June 21 when the Centre undertakes the process of distribution of vaccines.