Health authorities in the district launched an intensive vaccination drive against COVID-19 on Tuesday. The drive will continue until February 15, said District Medical Officer R. Renuka.
Although the district achieved 96% coverage in the first dose of vaccination, only 73% had taken the second dose. Dr. Renuka said that about 6 lakh people in the district were yet to get the second dose of vaccine.
“We can complete the vaccination drive only by addressing those 6 lakh people,” said Dr. Renuka. She said that 56% of teenagers in the age group of 15-17 had accepted the vaccine. The intensive drive will cover the 15-17 age group also.
Rapid response teams (RRT) and local body councillors are involved in the intensive vaccination drive. They will work in tandem with the health workers.
Vaccination camps will be organised in ward levels and in schools. Dr. Renuka said the help of the Education Department too was sought to attain total vaccination coverage for children above 15 years of age.
Figures show that only 25% of the pregnant women who registered for vaccination had taken the jabs. Dr. Renuka said that none of the 20 expectant mothers who died of COVID-19 in the district in the past year had been vaccinated against the virus. Dr. Renuka called upon the people to make use of the vaccination camps being held at various centres across the district. She asked the people to make use of the opportunity.
