PATNA: The
Covid-19 vaccination drive is yet to pick up pace as only 51.9% of the registered beneficiaries took the shots across the state on Monday, showing just 0.3% increase from Saturday’s 51.6%.
Altogether 23,281 healthcare workers were registered for vaccination on the sixth day on Monday since the drive was launched on January 16. However, only 12,075 (51.9%) of them turned up at their respective centres, compared to the maximum 61.97% turnout on the launch day. On the other five days since then, the figures hover around 50%.
State IMA senior vice-president Dr Ajay Kumar said apprehensions regarding vaccines are not only in Bihar, but across the globe. “But people will come forward for vaccination after they see the results,” he said.
When asked regarding the above 60% turnout on the first day and nearly 10% decline on other days since then, a health department official said, “On the first day, the entire mechanism was put in place for the vaccination and even the districts were focused on it. But now it has become a part of a drive and the focus might have slightly shifted to other works also.”
As per the data shared by state health society, vaccination on Monday was carried out at 261 centres involving 1305 human resources. Total 88,207 healthcare workers have got the shots — 85,919 of Covishield and 2,288 of Covaxin — since January 16.
So far total 72 cases of adverse events following immunization (AEFI), including three cases on Monday, have been reported in the state. “In order to ensure that the beneficiaries do not face any problem post-vaccination, sufficient quantities of anaphylaxis and AEFI kits have been made available at all the vaccination sites,” read a statement issued by the SHS.