Tamil Nadu will hold a mega COVID-19 vaccination camp at 50,000 centres on Saturday, and over 30 lakh people are expected to be inoculated, Health Minister Ma. Subramanian said on Monday.
Unlike the mega camps in the past that were held on Sundays, the sixth camp would be held on Saturday, he said after opening a mobile service at the Government Dental Hospital and College. The aim, he said, was to ensure better public response. People tended to avoid vaccination on Sundays under the misconception that getting inoculated after consuming alcohol and non-vegetarian food would affect their health. As on date, Tamil Nadu had 53,64,679 doses, which would be administered from Tuesday to Friday. Mr. Subramanian said that at the fifth camp, 11 lakh persons received their second dose and at the fourth, 10 lakh persons got their second dose. At the sixth camp, 30,42,509 persons were expected to be vaccinated. So far, 67% eligible persons had received their first dose and 25% their second dose, he said.
Mr. Subramanian commissioned the mobile dental service, which he said was in continuation of a scheme launched by the DMK government of 2006-2011. The mobile unit would carry two doctors and two nurses across the city to provide treatment. The scheme, under which school students were offered free dental treatment and dental aids, was revived with the DMK’s return to power, he said.
