Vax speed up since June 21 but single-dose coverage above 50% in only 3 districts

Gurgaon: Three districts of Haryana have given at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine to 50% of their populations — Gurgaon (86.71%), Panchkula (51.7%) and Ambala (50.7%).
The state’s projected population, based on the 2011 Census, is 2.92 crore. The vaccine coverage has been calculated based on the projected population of each district estimated by the state government.
Gurgaon, where the pace of vaccinations was hit hard because of shortage of doses in the first two weeks of June, has seen the biggest improvement among Haryana districts since June 21, when the Centre took control of vaccine distribution again. According to the government’s estimate, the projected population to be covered in the city is 17.46 lakh. Till July 9, 15.14 lakh doses were administered. Not all who have taken vaccines in Gurgaon would be residents of the city, though.
So far, 12.49 lakh people have received their first doses in the city. The health department hopes to provide at least one dose to the entire population in the next one and a half months. “We are aiming to give at least the first dose to everyone. We have already been working on a plan to increase our reach in rural areas and vaccinate those due for their second doses. We are setting up dedicated second dose sites to avoid overcrowding,” said Dr Virender Yadav, Gurgaon’s chief medical officer.
While Panchkula has also given 51.7% of its population at least one dose, with a projected population of just 6.44 lakh — almost one-third of that of Gurgaon — it could have done more. A Panchkula health official said the pace of vaccinations has been slow as a majority of the population comprises migrants.
Ambala, which has a projected population of 13.1 lakh, has managed to cover 50.7% of its population in the Covid vaccination drive by drafting in several NGOs, local market committees and religious groups. “We administered 1.35 lakh doses between June 22 and July 9 as we aggressively set up camps and reached out to community leaders. We also provided transport facilities to recipients,” said an official in the Ambala health department.
Faridabad has also done reasonably well — against a projected population of 20.75 lakh, it has managed to administer 9.42 lakh doses so far, which means 45.4% of its population has got at least one dose. Rewari has covered 43.3% of its population of 10.33 lakh so far. Sonipat, another large NCR district has, however, been lagging. With a projected population of 17.07 lakh, it has administered 5.39 lakh doses so far (31.6% coverage), while Karnal, which has a population similar to Gurgaon (17.38 lakh), has administered 5.24 lakh doses, covering 30% of its population.
Haryana had given 70.32 lakh doses till June 21, which rose to 96.08 lakh by July 9. This means that between June 22 and July 9, the state administered over 25.76 lakh doses, which is more than a fourth of all doses administered so far.
The districts that witnessed the maximum increase in vaccinations between June 22 and July 9 are Gurgaon (with a 63.1% rise since June 21), Charkhi Dadri (50.8%), Fatehabad (42.8%), Kaithal (40.2%) and Hisar (38.2%).
Palwal witnessed the least improvement in vaccinations in this period at 19.1%, followed by Ambala (26.1%), Sonipat (28.3%), Rohtak (29.2%) and Yamunanagar (29.5%).
The districts with the least vaccination coverage as of July 9 are Nuh (9.3%), Jind (18.2%), Hisar (20.5%), Kaithal (22.7%) and Panipat (23.9%). These districts have the maximum rural areas where vaccine hesitancy still prevails. Officials said the state is focusing more on rural areas now to step up vaccinations.
“The pace of vaccinations has seen a steep rise in Haryana in the last one month, especially after the Centre revised its guidelines and said private hospitals would be supplied doses via the state government from June 21,” said Dr Virender Ahlawat, the state’s immunisation officer. “On July 7, a revised communication stated that hospitals must place orders for doses through Co-WIN. This aims to further give a boost to the vaccination drive.”