PMC awaits Covaxin doses to administer 2nd dose to eligible beneficiaries in 15-18 age group

Feb 01, 2022 09:57 PM IST

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PUNE While many of the beneficiaries under the age of 18 years became eligible for their second dose four weeks after receiving the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) officials said that second doses have not yet been administered as there is a shortage in supply of Covaxin which is the only vaccine available for this age group

PUNE While many of the beneficiaries under the age of 18 years became eligible for their second dose four weeks after receiving the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) officials said that second doses have not yet been administered as there is a shortage in supply of Covaxin which is the only vaccine available for this age group. The recommended gap between two doses is four to six weeks. According to public health officials, the Pune district is scheduled to get 40,000 doses of Covaxin on Wednesday.

Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) officials said that there is a shortage in supply of Covaxin which is the only vaccine available for 15-18 age group. (FILE PHOTO)

Suryakant Deokar, immunisation officer, PMC, said, “It has been only two days since some beneficiaries from this age group have become eligible for the second dose. Currently, there is a shortage of Covaxin. We are getting 1,000-1,500 doses per day. The second doses haven’t yet been administered. The second dose can be taken within 28 to 45 days of taking the first dose. Once we get more doses, we can ramp up this drive.”

As per data available on the Cowin dashboard, 17,879 beneficiaries in the Pune district and 4,020 in the PMC in the age group of 15 to 18 took their first dose of Covaxin on January 3, the first day of the vaccination drive for this age group. This number rose to 27,662 in Pune district and 4,693 in the PMC limits on January 4, 2022. Till Monday, a total 293,223 doses have been administered to beneficiaries within this age group in the district.

According to officials from the public health department, Pune district will get 40,000 Covaxin doses by Wednesday which should ease the situation. “I had a meeting with state officials and 40,000 doses of Covaxin will be administered to Pune district by Wednesday. It is just a matter of one day. So far, there is very little response for the second dose in the district. The pace is expected to pick up in the next few days,” said Dr Sanjay Deshmukh, deputy director (health), Pune region.

According to officials, the pace of the first and second doses in this age group will also increase as schools and colleges have been allowed to reopen from Tuesday. Pune guardian minister Ajit Pawar has already instructed the civic and rural administration to conduct vaccination camps in schools and colleges. “In PMC limits, many vaccination camps have been conducted within school premises on the request of the respective administration. Because of the increasing Covid cases, the schools and colleges were closed. Now that they will reopen, similar drives can be planned so that the beneficiaries of the first and second doses can be covered,” said an officer from the PMC health department on condition of anonymity.