Unregistered workers top in prioritised Covid vaccination

Nitin Jain

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, June 15

The unregistered workers have topped the list of priority groups covered under the ongoing Covid vaccination drive for the 18 to 44 age group in Punjab, the government has said.

Of the total 4,90,504 beneficiaries registered so far for vaccination, 1,91,887 were unregistered workers, which accounts for 39.12 per cent, the data compiled by the Health and Family Welfare Department has revealed.

The official data available with The Tribune showed that construction workers stood second with 1,00,941 of them already getting vaccinated, followed by 84,372 persons with comorbidities, 64,733 family members of healthcare workers, 26,317 private industrial workers, 12,402 family members of unregistered workers, 6,843 family members of construction workers, 2,528 jail inmates with comorbidities and 481 healthcare workers.

According to the vaccine inventory, the state government had received 4,29,780 doses of Covishield for the prioritised 18-44 age group category, all of which have since been utilised, while 60,724 of the total 1,14,190 Covaxin doses received so far have been consumed, leaving the balance stock of 53,466 doses.

The Centre has allocated 14,34,370 doses of both Covishield and Covaxin to Punjab for June, of which 2,40,940 doses were received on June 2, while the supply of the remaining 11,93,430 allocated doses is still awaited.

Besides, the state government has also got 1,95,400 doses of Covishield and 1,13,120 doses of Covaxin on June 1 from the total order of 3,80,350 doses placed under the direct procurement by the states on May 25.

Moreover, 6,88,870 additional doses of both the vaccines are in the pipeline under the state supply quota.

As far as the vaccination of healthcare, frontline workers and population above 45 years is concerned, the Centre has already supplied 45,88,010 doses of Covishield to Punjab, of which 43,79,278 doses have since been utilised, while 4,65,190 of the total 5,98,060 doses of Covaxin received so far have also been consumed in the state.

Under these categories, 1,99,801 healthcare workers have got their first shot, 1,14,504 second dose; 8,95,552 frontline workers first jab, 1,95,218 second shot; and 29,51,219 45-plus population have already been immunised with first dose and 4,88,184 have been given the second jab as well.