On day one of the Central Government opening COVID-19 vaccination for those over 60 years of age and 45 years of age with medical conditions, 342 persons took the vaccine at the Coimbatore Corporation’s health centres.
Sources said at the eight designated urban primary health centres, 342 persons, most of who were 60-plus, took the vaccine. The Corporation administered the vaccine at no cost at the centres in Peelamedu, Ramanathapuram, Podanur, Gandhipark, Ramnagar (Kalingarayan Street), on Dr. Krishnasamy Road (SLM Home), Thudiyalur and Singanallur.
To encourage more people to take the vaccine, the Corporation had advised the urban health nurses at the eight health centres to talk to outpatients so as to encourage them to take the vaccine. It had also asked the nurses to reach out to the 45-plus persons, who regularly took medicines from the centres for non-communicable diseases like diabetes, hypertension, etc.
The sources said from among the frontline workers, the Corporation had administered the vaccine to 3,670 persons since the Central Government prioritised vaccination for the people who fell under the category.
While many Corporation workers and officials had taken the vaccine, to cover more of its workers, officials had asked the field staff concerned to close the conservancy workers’ attendance at the nearest, designated urban primary health centre so that at the end of day’s work, the workers were vaccinated.
The Corporation administered the vaccine at no cost and wanted as many people in the 60-plus category to make use of the opportunity.
Ganapathy KRG Nagar resident P. Jayarani, who took the vaccine in the Ramnagar urban primary health centre, said she and her husband took the vaccine on the first day because they wanted to make use of the Government-given opportunity.
“We came also because Prime Minister Narendra Modi taking the vaccine on Monday morning encouraged us to take it,” she said and added that she was not worried about side-effects or the rumours surrounding the vaccination drive. “We have read enough in the papers and seen enough in the media. We are confident and therefore, we decided to be early birds.”
Meanwhile, the Corporation in a release on Monday evening said it was imperative that those above 60 years of age and 45-plus years with comorbidities take the vaccine because of increase in cases in several States.
It was important that the age groups take the vaccine to protect not only themselves but also their family, the release appealed and reminded the city’s residents that they should continue to wear mask, wash hands and maintain physical distance.