The Union health ministry on Thursday said that Assam, Punjab, Maharashtra, Haryana, Tamil Nadu, Delhi and 12 other states have registered less Covid-19 vaccination coverage of health care workers (HCW).
“While the national average for the administration of the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine among the HCWs is 82 per cent, the national average for the second dose is only 56 per cent,” Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan.
18 states and union territories including Punjab, Maharashtra, Haryana, Tamil Nadu, Delhi and Assam have coverage below the national average in this aspect,” said Bhushan said.
For front line workers (FLWs), the national average of the first dose vaccine coverage is 85 per cent, but the national average for the second dose coverage for FLWs is only 47 per cent.
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19 states and union territories including Bihar, Haryana, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Puducherry, Telangana, Karnataka, and Punjab have reported the second dose coverage of FLWs less than the national average.
The Secretary highlighted the less than adequate private sector participation in the Covid-19 vaccination drive in these states.
As per the revised guidelines, 25 per cent of the vaccine stock can be procured by the private hospitals, which can set up private CVCs for supplementing the government’s efforts in increasing the vaccination coverage.
The union health secretary reiterated that universal coverage and full protection amongst healthcare and frontline workers is crucial to protect healthcare response to the pandemic.
Timely completion of vaccination schedule is important for conferring full protection to beneficiaries.
The states were asked to prepare effective plans for expediting the administration of the second dose and dedicate special time slots or sessions for the exercise.