On Wednesday 1,12,007 people were inoculated taking the count of beneficiaries to 7,86,000. There have been four deaths among those vaccinated — three due to cardiac arrest and not linked to the vaccination and one was still being analysed, a Health Ministry official said. All in all, States have reported 82 adverse events following immunisation and while 10 of them have merited hospitalisation, seven have been discharged and none grave enough to be recorded as a “serious/severe AEFI”. The deaths were reported from Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh; Bellary and Shivamogga, Karnataka and Nirmal, Telangana.
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On the fifth day since the vaccination has begun , 20 States organised sessions. Andhra Pradesh recorded the maximum number at 22,548 whereas Himachal Pradesh pooled only 45. Kerala that has recorded some of the highest infections in the country recorded only 262.
So far there have been 14,119 sessions held nationally since January 16 and by the Health Ministry’s original estimate of 100 inoculations per session, there ought to have been 1.4 million inoculations so far but the actual number as of today is around half that.
The Centre has said it has now provided for States, which must record vaccinations, using the CO-WIN software to add beneficiaries to a session in case those who were supposed to receive their shots on a particular day don’t turn up. However, only those who were pre-registered could avail themselves of such a facility. Those who were inoculated would get a “provisional certificate” after the first dose and a final certificate after the final dose 14 days later.
District Magistrates and immunisation officers were being advised to hold daily review meetings with those in charge of session sites and cold chain points.
Most States have allotted 3-4 days of a week for vaccination to ensure that routine healthcare services aren’t disrupted.
On Tuesday, the Health Ministry officials said India had inoculated more than the U.S., France and the U.K. when the initial days of vaccination were considered. They acknowledged concerns about vaccine hesitancy, in that doctors and healthcare workers and other beneficiaries weren’t turning up in expected numbers.
