KOLKATA: Bengal hit the 7-crore jab mark on Friday, crossing the half-way mark of administering 14 crore doses to completely vaccinate the state’s eligible adult population.
With 5.1 crore-plus adult population having got first of the Covid vaccine dose in Bengal, around 73% have been covered by at least one dose. The state government is targeting to vaccinate the entire eligible adult population with at least one dose by November-end.
This time, too, the state took 17 days to administer the last one crore jabs.
Bengal is third among states leading the vaccination drive after Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra.
“The state today achieved another milestone of administering seven crore cumulative doses,” said director of health services Ajay Chakraborty.
The eligible adult population in Bengal for the inoculation drive is pegged at 7 crore. For giving two shots to each of this 7 crore people, 14 crore doses have to be administered in total. About 1.9 crore people had got both the doses by Friday making it about 27% of the eligible population.
“We will be giving more thrust on maximising the first dose so that we can target to cover the entire eligible adult population with at least one dose of the vaccine by November-end,” said Ashim Das Malakar, state family welfare officer.
Health officials said the inoculation drive had lost steam during Durga Puja. The state crossed the six-crore jab mark on October 5. Even as the government kept its CVCs at medical colleges and hospitals open, the drive had taken a backseat for about five days during the festivity.
Despite the slowdown during the festivity, more than 1.3 crore jabs have been already been administered in October. With a target of dispensing about 1.7 crore shots this month, health department officials are confident of achieving the target.
When the health department activated 4,314 vaccination sites on Friday morning it had a stock of about 56 lakh doses in its possession. Of the total sites operated during the day, 4,039 was in government-run health facilities from where close to 11 lakh doses were administered till reports last came in.
Bengal has already moved up to the third spot, among other states, as far as number of doses administered is concerned. Earlier it had gone down to the sixth and seventh spots. Health officials indicated of raising the drive further.
“Our apprehension, however, is the rush could go down once we achieve about 85% first dose coverage as there is still a section of people who are unwilling to take the vaccine,” added Das Malakar.
