VIJAYAWADA: The drive to administer the second dose of COVID-19 vaccines to people in the 45 and plus age group continued across the state for the second day on Thursday. The state received five lakh doses on Tuesday.
However, due to limited availability of stocks the vaccination continued at a snail's pace.Against 1.3 crore population in the said age group, 53,43,000 had been administered first dose, and 17,92,000 second dose till date.
"We will continue vaccination for the recipients of the second dose on a priority basis. The first dose will be administered next week as more doses are likely to arrive," a senior official in the health department told The New Indian Express.
As on Thursday, 85,000 doses of Covaxin and 4.15 lakh doses of Covishied were positioned across the state. Though it was announced that vaccination will be only for those scheduled to get a second jab, people seeking the first dose were also seen rushing to the vaccination centres at several places.
However, most of them were told to get themselves registered online, and wait for their turn. "It is true that people, anxious about getting vaccinated, are rushing to vaccine centres. Some were asked to come back as we have a limited stock," explained a medical officer overseeing the drive in Vijayawada .
Administering second jabs is proving difficult in urban areas, particularly in Chittoor district, where the number of cases have been on a steady rise. However, there were not major problems in Nellore.
In Kurnool, the number of people going to vaccine centres is increasing and officials are facing a tough time explaining to them that vaccines are scheduled for those in the 45+ age group and that too only the second dose.
In Guntur, almost all centres witnessed a heavy rush as all people who received their first dose rushed to the centres eagerly. However, most of them faced disappointment. Some accused the staff of giving priority to people who had recommendations.
ALSO WATCH:
Some had a different experience all together as they could not locate the vaccine centre where they were given slots online. "We were given the address of the vaccine centre in Kasturi Nagar, but when we went there there was no vaccine centre. When we approached the nearby centre, we were told they did not have our names," complained N Gopi from Visakhapatnam.
Only for second dose recipients
As on Thursday, 85,000 doses of Covaxin and 4.15 lakh doses of Covishield were positioned. Though it was announced that vaccination will be only for second jab recipients, people seeking the first dose were also seen rushing to the centres