While various educational institutions in Mysuru began a special vaccination drive for students and staff of engineering and degree colleges, the Department of Health and Family Welfare in Mysuru has announced suspension of its ongoing vaccination programme at government hospitals and primary health centres across the district.
The available stocks of vaccine doses have been exhausted, said a statement from Mysuru District Health Officer K.H. Prasad. While awaiting arrival of fresh stocks of vaccine from the State government, Dr. Prasad said the date of resumption of the vaccination programme will be announced in the media.
The general public have been requested to cooperate by not visiting the vaccination centres till an announcement on the resumption of the programme is made.
Meanwhile, Mysuru District Vaccination Officer L. Ravi said an estimated 12.2 lakh doses had been administered in the district so far. Out of the 34 lakh population in the district, the targeted population of persons above 18 years comprises about 25.5 lakh. “We need a total of 51 lakh doses to vaccinate the entire targeted population at the rate of two doses each. We have so far administered 12.23 lakh doses”, Dr. Ravi said.
Dr. Prasad said the department has the capacity to administer vaccines to all the targeted population in the district much before the December-end deadline provided sufficient doses are made available. “If needed we can have upto 2,000 vaccination centres like we do when carrying out pulse polio programme. But, vaccine doses should be available”, he said.
Meanwhile, vaccination drives were taken up by National Institute of Engineering (NIE) and Vidyavardhaka College of Engineering (VVCE) in Mysuru on Monday as part of the special drive.
“Over 700 people including students and staff were vaccinated,”, said Principal of VVCE B. Sadashive Gowda in a statement here. He hoped that the drive will help the students to return to the campuses and attended physical classes in the coming days.
