NE HEALTH BUREAU
CHENNAI, JAN 17
The second day of the immunisation drive against COVID-19 saw the Health Secretary J. Radhakrishnan being administered the vaccine as the total number to get the shots in Tamil Nadu crossed the 6,000 mark on Sunday, with no adverse reaction reported, the government said.
According to updated figures for vaccination on the opening day, 3,027 people were administered Covishield and 99 Covaxin.
On Sunday, 2,847 beneficiaries received Covishield and 183 Covaxin and in total, 6,156 persons, including doctors have got the jabs and no adverse reaction was seen, the Tamil Nadu Health department said in an official release.
The government-led vaccination drive is being held in 160 plus centres across the state, in addition to private hospitals. Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan, overseeing the vaccination exercise in Tiruchirappalli district, was administered the vaccine.
“I have been administered Covaxin and both Covishield and Covaxin vaccines are safe,” the top official said and thanked the doctors and nurses for their work.
On the cumulative, targeted beneficiaries for vaccination and the actual turnout, Radhakrishnan said the vaccination programme was not target oriented, but based on the willingness of the proposed recipients.
People who came forward for immunisation on the opening day was 3,100 plus though the government had in place a capacity to administer vaccines to about 16,600 people, he said.
“To help prevent a second wave of coronavirus, immunisation against the virus is important,” he said and urged people to continue social vaccination like wearing masks and hygiene.
According to the government, about six lakh people, includes doctors and other healthcare workers, are on the priority list for the vaccination. While the state received 5,56,500 doses of vaccine, it can be used to vaccinate about 2,25,000 people and the Central government has assured that more doses would be dispatched to Tamil Nadu, the Dr. Radhakrishnan said.
