As the available vaccine stock inadequate to vaccinate people in the 18-44 age group in the district, the Health Department is focusing on vaccinating workers at industries and allied sectors and is waiting for the arrival of vaccine to organise camps for the public.
Sources in the department told The Hindu a total of 2,01,659 people comprising 1,69,823 above 45 years and 31,836 persons in 18-44 age group were vaccinated as of Thursday. While the stock available for above 45 years was 2,900 doses, the stock available for 18-44 age group was 6,810 doses.
Of the 2,900 doses, 240 were available at the Government Erode Medical College Hospital, Perundurai, 270 doses at all the Primary Health Centres (PHCs) and 2,290 doses at the district vaccine store. Of the 6,810 doses available for the 18-44 age group, 6,760 doses were available at the PHCs and 50 doses at the district vaccine store. No vaccine stock was available at the government hospitals in the district, the sources said.
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Officials said that since adequate stock of vaccine was not available, only workers in industries, oil and gas marketing companies and workers in other industries were vaccinated at present. “Vaccine will start arriving in a phased manner from next week after which special camps will be organised for the 18-44 age group,” they said.
With 13,925 COVID-19 positive cases and 89 deaths being reported in the past 10 days in the district, over 10 lakh people in the 18-44 age group are waiting for vaccination of which many, based on social media alerts, travel to various places to attend camps at industries to get vaccinated.