Aparna Banerji

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, July 15

Started seven months ago in the district, the vaccination drive gets affected due to shortage of doses after every few days. So, a smooth and regular vaccination process remains a distant dream. After months of confusion regarding a separate supply chain from the state and the Centre, there were hopes that the supply of vaccine doses would be regular after the Centre starts supplying the doses. However, for the last two days, residents have to return empty-handed as they have not been vaccinated.

In Jalandhar, after every two to three days of the intensive vaccine drive, there is a two-three day of vaccine lull in the district. Like clockwork, vaccine shortage hits again leaving hundreds hapless.

As compared to the hype over 60,000 a-day vaccination drive, regular shortages are still being witnessed. In the last seven months, the district has seen vaccinations being administered to only 9 lakh of the total population of 21,93,590 people.

Exactly seven months after the start of the Covid-19 vaccination first began to be administered to health workers in the district on January 16, the district has witnessed vaccinations of 9,11,361 people which amount to 41.547 per cent of the district’s population.

Having received 22,000 vaccinations a few days ago and having exhausted most of them in a single day, the district has not seen Covid vaccinations being administered for the past three days. While Covaxin session sites at Maqsudan and Garha have been administering vaccines constantly, very few other sites have been administering vaccines while the majority of sites have been closed due to unavailabaility of the vaccine.

District officials said the increased demand for vaccine was also one of the reasons that a majority of the vaccine were being used up soon. While the district previously averaged at 10 to 12,000 vaccines per day, now it is becoming common to vaccinate over 20,000 people in a single day when the vaccine arrives in bulk.

District Immunisation Officer Dr Rakesh Chopra said, “We received 22,000 vaccines a few days ago. A very little amount remains with us. There is so much demand for the vaccine that all the supplies are rapidly exhausted in a single day. The 2 to 3,000 left with us is being administered in a few session sites while majority are closed. We are dependent on supply to carry the process forward.”

While the Radha Soami Satsang Beas session sites in Jalandhar have been known for always having vaccines even amidst acute shortages, this time even they have run out of vaccines. The DIO said 15,000 vaccines are expected to arrive tonight after which the vaccine drive may be resumed tomorrow.

Long way to go

• Supply of around 22,000 vaccine doses received a few days ago exhausted. Only little over 9 lakh out of over 21 lakh population vaccinated
• At 41.5 pc, Jalandhar ranks the third district in the state in terms of most vaccinated populations
• The most vaccinated are SAS Nagar (70.921 per cent) and Hoshiarpur with 49.59 per cent vaccimar nations
• The 45- 59 age group is most vaccinated while health workers are least vaccinated.
• Of the over 9 lakh people vaccinated so far in Jalandhar, 2,81,735 are in the age of 45 to 59, 2,42,462 are in age groups of 60 plus, 2,44,273 aged between 18 to 44 years of age, 1,10,614 frontline workers and 32,277 health workers