CHANDIGARH: Seeing
lukewarm response among the
health workers, the
UT health department shall soon convene a meeting to find out ways to increase attendance. There has been a decrease in the overall coverage of the
Covishield vaccination from 74% to 41% in the last two days of the drive.
“We shall hold a districtlevel meeting to evaluate the response of the vaccination. We have been counselling our health workers, but there has to be ways to consistently motivate them,” said Dr Amandeep Kang, director health services, UT.
There are four sites in the city and the second round for the immunisation will begin at the PGI on Thursday. The institute has received 500 vaccines out of the 11,500 vaccination consignment, which had come in the second lot recently.
“The health workers, who are exposed to the virus, should come forward for the shots. This can at least save them from the severity,” said a faculty at the PGI.
The UT
health department has allocated four days a week for the shots. Depending on the response, the sites will open at the PGI.
“One vial has 10 doses and if opened once, it must be consumed within four hours. We need to have at least 10 people on each site. Also, it takes 5-7 minutes for one jab, excluding the waiting period of 30 minutes,” said an immunisation expert at the UT health department.
There are around 21,000 registered health workers in the city, where 11,000 are from the PGI. 23,500 vaccines have already arrived in the city for this priority group. This consignment will suffice for 11,000 health care workers keeping in account 10% wastage.
“There are a lot of apprehensions among the health care workers at the moment. Also, with the adverse events and a few deaths reported, which are not related to the vaccination in the country, the reluctance has increased,” said Dr Kang.