Vaccination drive for 18 to 44 age group picks up pace
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, May 26 2021: The vaccination drive for the 18-44 age group has many more lining up for the shot with more Government health care centres now administering the Covid vaccine to the age group since the last few days.

The vaccination drive for the said age group was rolled out today in many of the Primary Health Centres, Community Health Centres and Upper Primary Health Centres in Imphal East and Imphal West district.

Notably, the two districts, Imphal West and Imphal East are the most affected districts in Manipur.

While Imphal West reported 301 fresh Covid cases, Imphal East reported 146 cases in the last 24 hours, according to COVID-19 Common Control Room.

Meanwhile, even as the State has increased the number of vaccination centres, the vaccination drive for the age group 18-44 years is sluggish as most of the centres have limited their intake capacity to 100 or 200 beneficiaries per session.

In the Primary Health Centre at Kakwa, the vaccination drive for the 18-44 age group was seen being held with strict adherence to SOPs laid down by the Government.

Volunteers of the Covid Task Force Coordinating Committee, which was formed by 16 clubs from Heirangoithong to Manipur University area were assisting in the management of the vaccination drive and maintaining SOPs in and around the campus of the PHC.

They informed that around 150 individuals, whose ages are from 18 to 44 have been inoculated today in the PHC till 2 pm.

The volunteers said that the Covid vaccination for the age group will be carried out once a week besides vaccinating people whose age are above 44 on all other days.

Some youth who came for the jab at the centre expressed satisfaction that the Covid vaccination drive was conducted smoothly in the PHC.

When asked whether they have issues with the registration process at Co-WIN Portal, the youths said they faced no such problems.

Notably, the Centre has recently done away with the registration permitting on site registration for 18-44 years.

At Sangaipat PHC, the drive was found progressing smoothly with around 70 beneficiaries already given the jabs in the afternoon.

The local volunteers who assisted in the vaccination drive informed that 100 persons are vaccinated every alternate day in the PHC.

Hidangmayum Prasanta, a 25-year-old male beneficiary from Bamon Leikai said he received the vaccine after his uncle registered his name through the Co-WIN portal.

Stating that vaccination would be a major 'defence line' for tackling COVID-19 pandemic, he said increasing the number of beneficiaries per session is the need of the hour.

At the Urban Health Centre at Singjamei Chingamthak, many of the age group 18-44 years were seen standing in long queues maintaining safe distances.

The staff in the UHC conveyed that vaccination for the age group was launched at the centre today.

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