TN aims to achieve 100 per cent vaccine coverage by Nov end: Ma Subramanian

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu aims to achieve 100 per cent coverage of Covid-19 vaccination by the end of November, Health Minister Ma Subramanian told reporters on Saturday. After inspecting a drive to vaccinate people at their doorsteps in Chennai’s Nochikuppam, the minister said 71 per cent of the eligible population has taken the first dose of the vaccine while 32 per cent has taken the second dose. “A total of 65,70,295 people are yet to get their second dose. Of them, 51,60,392 are to receive Covishield, and 14,07,903 are to get Covaxin,” he said.

On Saturday, the Chennai Corporation started vaccinating people at their doorsteps after preparing a list of beneficiaries. “Based on the list, staff will make people take the vaccine,” Subramanian said. After the camp at Nochikuppam, two others were simultaneously held at Besant Nagar and Kottivakkam.

“Next week, the eighth mega vaccination camp will be held at 50,000 locations across the State. All the eligible persons will be covered,” he said, and urged people to follow Covid-19 appropriate behaviour. 

On the dengue situation, the health minister said 456 people in the State are being treated for the infection. “We have tested three times more samples than last year, for dengue. The civic body and the Health department are working to control the spread of dengue,” Ma Subramanian added.