Sharp fall in vax drive as new norms stretch gap between doses

Nagpur: A day after the health ministry issued fresh guidelines on deferring Covid inoculation, the figures in Nagpur division fell by over 60%. On Thursday, the division comprising six districts recorded 14,931 vaccinations against 55,274 on Wednesday.
On May 19, health secretary Rajesh Bhushan had forwarded recommendations of National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for Covid-19 (NEGVAC) to all state chief secretaries. Considering emerging scientific evidence and experience from across the globe, NEGVAC had recommended deferment of first dose and second dose under certain conditions.
The new rules exclude, between 4 weeks to 3 months, administering the vaccine to recovered patients, persons with serious general illness, recipients of convalescent plasma or monoclonal antibodies, and those who have received first dose.
In Nagpur city, only 27% vaccination target was recorded as 2,534 took the jab though the civic body had provided 9,400 does for 45+ groups, whose second jab was due.
Additional municipal commissioner Ram Joshi issued a press release stating that the vaccination would be open for 45+ group for both first and second dose on Friday. Paucity of does had forced Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) to restrict the drive to 45+ and that too only those with second jab due for last few days.
Joshi also informed that as per the last government order, the second dose would be administered only after a gap of 12 to 16 weeks.
All NMC vaccination centres would remain open on Friday and Covishield would be given. At four centres – Ambedkar Hospital Indora, GMCH, Barrister Rajabhau Khobragade Sabhagruh, and NMC’s Mahal Health centre – only the second dose of Covaxin would be given. NMC will also allow second dose to HCWs and FLWs.
NMC officials said around 5.5 lakh population above 45+ age is yet to be vaccinated in city limits. Around 3.5 lakh have already been vaccinated while one to 1.5 lakh have tested positive in the last two months.
Hence, the turnout at vaccination dropped after the new norms were applied, as very few second dose beneficiaries could make it. Of the day’s 2,534 beneficiaries, over 2,300 took their first dose.
Meanwhile, the daily vaccination chart provided by deputy director of health services showed 27 beneficiaries in the 18-44 years group. An official found these were SRPF battalion camp beneficiaries, who were erroneously counted under wrong head instead of FLWs.