Nagpur: The vaccination numbers in the Nagpur division dropped by nearly 50% from what they were just a couple of days back. On Saturday, the six districts recorded 35,517 inoculations while nearly the same number of beneficiaries had taken the jab in Nagpur district alone on Monday. On April 8, just when the vaccine shortage started looming, the Nagpur division under the deputy director of health services (DDHS) had recorded over 67,000 inoculations in a day.
On the other hand, vaccination in the Nagpur city limits picked up, with public centres witnessing good turnout. The drive had slowed down in the last couple of days. Yet, abysmal performance was reported from rural areas which collectively managed to inoculate just 4,183 people.
Gondia, which starting running short of doses earlier this week, didn’t administer the second dose under any category of beneficiaries. The district received some supply of vaccines which helped it administer over 4,000 first doses to all types of beneficiaries.
In Nagpur, though the administration claimed to have received around 15,000 doses of Covaxin, the indigenous jab was given only at the Government Medical College and Hospital. None of the private and other centres restarted Covaxin as per the district and civic data.
Of the overall inocuations, 62% beneficiaries belonged to the 45+ group, which accounted for 22,099 jabs in the day.
Also, 1,300 healthcare workers (HCWs) and frontline workers (FLWs) came forward to take their first doses, though they had become eligible on January 17 itself. The government had stopped vaccination for HCWs and FLWs after it came to the fore that some ineligible beneficiaries had taken the jab in violation of norms.
Two days back, the curbs were lifted with the condition that these FLWs and HCWs can get the jab through on-site registration, only at public inoculation centres. They also need to give an undertaking as well as employer’s certificate. These conditions were not there initially.
Health officials said there was no vaccine stock left in the division and no doses were left in any of the depot at DDHS, corporation or district depots. As per civic officials, the stocks available with centres would last till Monday. Public centres will remain closed on Sunday while the drive goes on at private centres.