Against 23.6% first jab coverage, only 4.1% take 2nd dose in Ludhiana district

Nitin Jain

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, June 30

A whooping six-time less beneficiaries, who took the first dose of Covid vaccine, have turned up for the second shot in Ludhiana district, the government has confirmed.

Against the coverage of 23.6 per cent for the first jab, only 4.1 per cent recipients have so far taken the second dose in the district, the official figures have revealed.

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The data analysed by the Health and Family Welfare Department showed that the trend is similar across the state as well with 17.2 per cent coverage for the first shot and the second jab coverage reaching just 2.8 per cent in Punjab as yet.

Even as Ludhiana, being the biggest and the most-populated district in Punjab, is leading the overall inoculation coverage by crossing the 1.15-million mark, almost one-third of its total population of 3.5-million, the wide gap between the first and second dose recipients has become a major cause of concern.

Mohali tops Punjab with a maximum of 46.8 per cent coverage of the first dose, while the recipients of the second dose are just 5.8 per cent, almost eight-time less.

Among other districts, Hoshiarpur reported first shot coverage of 25.8 per cent and second jab 4.1 per cent, followed by Pathankot 25.3 per cent first and 4.6 per cent second, Jalandhar 24.5 first and 4.2 second, Nawanshahr 22.3 first and 3.6 second, Gurdaspur 22 first and 5 second, Patiala 19.1 first and 2.3 second, Kapurthala 18.8 first and 2.7 second, Ropar 18.4 first and 2.1 second, Faridkot 17.2 first and 3.1 second, Amritsar 15.3 first and 3 second, Moga 13.8 first and 1.8 second, Barnala 13.2 first and 2.1 second, Tarn Taran 13 first and 1.7 second, Fatehgarh Sahib 12.1 first and 2.1 second, Bathinda 12.5 first and 2.1 second, Muktsar 12 first and 1.5 second, Ferozepur 11 first and 1.8 second, Fazilka 9.8 first and 1.6 second, Sangrur 9.7 first and 1.3 second and Mansa registered the minimum coverage of 9.1 per cent for first dose and just 1.2 per cent of its population got the second jab. Ludhiana has already topped Punjab in having maximum beneficiaries who have not taken their second due dose of the vaccine. As many as 27,098 recipients, including 15,140 of Covaxin and 11,958 of Covishield, have not turned up even after the lapse of 16 weeks, which is the maximum time gap between two doses of first shot of Covishield, and after six weeks, maximum duration for taking second injection after the first jab of Covaxin.