Nagpur: Of the 15 lakh population falling in the above 45 age category in the district, only six lakh have taken the first dose of Covid-19 vaccine in the last 49 days.
With around nine lakh people remaining to be vaccinated, it will take more than 70 days to inoculate all at the current rate.
As per data of office of deputy director of health services, 3,03,475 people in the 45-59 age group and 2,90,376 people above 60 years have taken the first dose in the district, for a total of 5,93,851 doses. The estimated population in above 45 age group is around 15 lakh. It means 39.59% eligible persons were vaccinated in the district.
The government had rolled out vaccine for 60-plus and 45-plus age group with comorbidities from March 1. From April 1, the government permitted inoculation to all people above 45 years.
The Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has started 129 vaccination centres in the city. The civic body has also facilitated satellite centres for few vaccination centres. Zilla Parishad (ZP) is operating 136 centres in rural parts of the district. Thus, 265 centres are available in the district.
As per officials of the NMC and ZP, around 300 persons can be easily covered at one centre in a day. Thus, 80,000 people can be vaccinated in a day in the district.
Following spike in Covid-19 positive cases and deaths from March, guardian minister Nitin Raut and divisional commissioner Sanjeev Kumar had set target to complete vaccination of all people above 45 years by April end. They had set target of 40,000 inoculations every day.
The number of beneficiaries was above 30,000 per day in the first week of April. Vaccination was above 40,000 on two days in the first week. The number declined to a great extent in the second week.
Around 13,000 people, healthcare workers (HCWs), frontline workers (FLWs) are being vaccinated with the first and second dose in the district daily, which is much less as against total capacity of the vaccination centres.
NMC officials told TOI, “Centres have been facilitated across the city. Mobilization is also being done with the help of special camps, NGOs, corporators etc. Registration facility has been provided in various ways. Still, response from eligible people is not up to the mark,” they said.
Vice-president of Maharashtra Medical Council Dr Vinky Rughwani said, “People who were eager to get vaccinated thronged the centres and took the jab in initial days. Now, one or more member of every 10th family in the city is infected with Covid-19. Other members are avoiding vaccination fearing side effects if they are carrying the virus,” he said.
Rughwani further said that there is misconception among few people that they are likely to get fever, body ache etc after taking vaccine and then they will test positive. “Authorities should spread awareness in this regard,” he said.
The district has reported 7,17,553 people who have taken the first dose and remaining 1,23,702 are HCWs (58,265) and FLWs (65,437).