NT NETWORK
Panaji
Over two lakh people in the state have not taken the scheduled second dose of COVID-19 vaccine, the directorate of health services (DHS) revealed on Monday.
The DHS is making an attempt to reach out to these people by holding a mega vaccination camp across the state on October 31.
State immunisation officer Dr Rajendra Borkar said that approximately 2.16 lakh people, even after completing 84 days from the first dose, have not come forward for the second dose of the vaccine.
He said the DHS will reach out to them by roping in anganwadi workers and using different mediums including media, and request them to come forward to receive the second dose of the vaccine.
“We are holding a mega camp in Goa on October 31, apart from the 40 regular vaccination centres. We will be facilitating inoculation at 219 sub-centres,” Dr Borkar said addressing a press conference along with director, DHS, Dr Ira Almeida and state epidemiologist Dr Utkarsh Betodkar. He informed that the vaccination drive will be held on that particular day from 9.30 am
to 5 pm. Dr Almeida claimed that “nearly 105 per cent” of the target population in Goa has been given the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine, while 73 per cent have been administered the second dose.
“We hope that by November-end most of our target population will be fully vaccinated and thereafter we will integrate COVID-19 vaccination programme into the normal vaccination programme. Slowly by November-end and the beginning of December, we will shut down all our vaccination centres and get back to doing what we used to do before,” she said.