Lucknow conducted the third round of the COVID inoculation drive on Thursday, where the beneficiary turnout was limited to less than half the set target. As per recorded stats, about 49% of healthcare workers were administered the COVID shot yesterday, 9% short of what was recorded in the earlier drive, conducted on January 22. Though the Uttar Pradesh Health Department relaxed rules to boost the turnout ratio, Lucknow ranked on the 70th spot out of the total 75 state districts, in terms of achieving the vaccination target.
COVID vaccine performance during Lucknow’s round 3 inoculation
Lucknow had set a target of immunizing around 14,311 healthcare workers in the third round of phase one coronavirus inoculation. Out of this, around 49% or 6,790 beneficiaries turned up for the vaccination on Thursday. This low tally, despite relaxed provisions by the state, projects a general sense of hesitation among people towards the vaccination. The Health Department has altered its term to accommodate the vaccination of unscheduled health workers on Thursday to achieve the vaccination target, however, to no avail.
Officials have suggested discrepancies in lists which affected the numbers and the District immunisation officer stated “It has come to our notice that there were some anomalies. We will probe the matter. Those who did not turn up today will get a second chance on February 5.” Meanwhile, not a single incident of any adverse reaction was reported from those who got the shot, on Thursday, across 114 boots in 43 centres in Lucknow.
Lucknow clocks in a sloping rate of target-achievement
Lucknow’s vaccination site boosted their potential to vaccine 125 health workers in a day, as opposed to the previous 100. This scale-up capacity was basically awarded in view of the sloping turnout in the last two vaccination sessions in the city. In the first round, the turnout at 12 centres was 70 per cent, and in the second round, it was 58 per cent. Among super-speciality medical institutes, SGPGIMS recorded a high turnout of 87 per cent this time, whereas KGMU recorded 48 per cent and RMLIMS 49 per cent vaccinations.
Covaxin was administered at three centres where 189 health workers, about 50 per cent of those enlisted, received the shots. Covidshield was used at the remaining 40 centres where the turnout was about 49 per cent. For the Friday session in the city, a target of 13,000 health workers has been set, across 104 booths in 43 city centres.
