CHENNAI: More than 1.5 lakh people are eligible for precautionary dose vaccination in the city and this number is expected to double in the next 10 days, said city corporation officials. Till Friday, 38,880 people in the category had been inoculated.
While 20,072 people took the jab during the special camp for booster doses conducted on Thursday, the corporation has been vaccinating around 3,000 people on other days. "As there was vaccine shortage last year after vaccination opened for people above 18 years of age, many senior citizens took their second dose much later. Hence, the number of people becoming eligible for the booster dose will increase in the coming days," said a corporation official.
A total of 1,55,309 persons were eligible for the vaccination till January 21 and approximately 13,000 people become eligible on a daily basis.
Officials said that the corporation is also sending messages to senior citizens who took their vaccines in March to visit the nearby PHCs to get the booster dose vaccine. According to guidelines issued by the Centre, senior citizens who have been infected with COVID-19 should take the vaccine three months after recovering.
Senior citizens with co-morbidities can also call 1913, 044-2538 4520, or 044-4612 2300 to get inoculated at their homes.