As the third phase of COVID-19 vaccination drive for people aged 45 and above is currently underway, several youths like Satish of Mudigonda, who reportedly registered their names on Co-Win portal to receive COVID-19 jabs, are anxiously waiting for the State government’s nod for inoculating those in the age group of 18-44.
Satish, a native of Mudigonda, was among several youths of the mandal, famous for a cluster of granite factories, who registered their names online on Co-Win platform in the last week of April to get themselves vaccinated against COVID-19.
The third phase of vaccination drive is yet to pick up the desired momentum in tune with the imperative need to ramp up the vaccination drive, the vital tool to combat the COVID-19.
A total of 1,38,345 vaccine doses were administered at as many as 34 government and five private designated sites in the district ever since the drive was launched in January this year, sources said.
The drive is progressing at a relatively slow pace in several mandals, including Mudigonda in Khammam division, due to multiple factors, predominantly short supply of vaccines, sources added.
A little over 3000 persons were inoculated as part of the COVID-19 vaccination drive in Mudigonda mandal so far.
Nearly 100 persons were administered COVID-19 vaccines at the primary health centre (PHC) in Mudigonda on Wednesday. “I received my first dose of vaccine today after booking a slot online on the official portal," said Srinivas, a middle-aged man of Mudigonda.
“I tried twice to get vaccinated in the hitherto on the spot registration mode at the same centre in the last fortnight but in vain,” he said, adding that the online mode of pre-booking slots is quite convenient.
“We are administering COVID-19 vaccines based on pre-booked slots in a hassle-free manner in adherence to the stipulated norms,” Medical Officer at the Mudigonda PHC Arshida, told The Hindu, when contacted.
Satish, the 30-year-old businessman of Mudigonda, who registered his name for taking the vaccine jab, said the vaccination drive for people in the productive age group of 18-44 years should begin immediately to effectively rein in the spread of COVID-19.
The granite hub of Mudigonda mandal is inhabited by hundreds of migrant workers from Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha and various other States, he said, adding that there was an urgent need to scale up the COVID-19 testing and vaccination drive.