A four-day intensive vaccination drive was rolled out at 100 session sites across the Union Territory targeted at the 18-44 age group.
Lt. Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan inaugurated the campaign aiming for a pandemic-free Puducherry at the Petit Seminaire Higher Secondary School.
Dr. Soundararajan emphasised the importance of vaccination to gain protection from COVID-19 and preventing a third wave of the pandemic.
She told presspersons that every effort was being made to vaccinate all eligible beneficiaries with the goal of making the U.T. free from COVID-19 by August 15.
Pointing out that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had committed to vaccinate all citizens from June 21 with the Centre ensuring vaccine supplies to States, the Lt. Governor appealed to the people to avail of the opportunity to get vaccinated. However, even after vaccination, people should follow safety protocols, she said.
Dr. Soundararajan reiterated that adequate stocks of vaccines were available in the U.T. The administration was coordinating with the Centre to replenish stocks in relation to the offtake.
The Lt. Governor said there was much less vaccine hesitancy now as many more people were turning out to take Covid shots.
According to Dr. Soundararajan, while in some places stricter lockdown measures were implemented, Puducherry had opted for partial restrictions to protect the livelihood of the people.
She lauded the concerted effort of all departments and agencies to contain the second wave as a result of which there was a decline in cases in the U.T.
K. Lakshminarayanan, MLA; T. Arun, Health Secretary; E. Vallavan, LAD Secretary; Ashok Kumar, Revenue Secretary; S. Mohan Kumar, Health Director; G. Sriramulu, Director, Puducherry State Health Mission; N. Venkatramani, area chairman, Pondicherry Heritage Round Table 167; officials and faculty of the school participated.