CHENNAI: The State vaccinated 22.52 lakh people till 8.10 pm in the fifth mega COVID-19 vaccination camp conducted across the State on Sunday.
Chief Minister MK Stalin inspected a few vaccination camps, including a PHC at Maduvankarai and St Francis Xavier Middle School at Little Mount, and interacted with the public and staff present at the vaccination centres.
According to the Health Department, of the 22,52,641 people, 11,50,351 received the first dose and 11,02,290 received the second dose. The State conducted 32,017 camps on Sunday. In Chennai where more than 1,000 camps were conducted, 1,63,884 people were vaccinated, the highest among districts. Coimbatore stood second, vaccinating 1,09,582 people and Salem 1,00,359 people.
The Chief Minister instructed the district collectors to focus on achieving the targeted coverage in the camps. He also instructed officials to speed up the process. According to a press release, Stalin requested the public to make use of the vaccination camps conducted nearby their places.
Till Saturday, 3,74,20,314 people (65 per cent) had received their first dose, and 1,29,38,551 people (22 per cent) had received their second dose. The Chief Minister asked for district-wise data of the people who received the first and the second dose, the release added.
Further, the release said there will be no vaccination drive on Monday. Meanwhile, Health Minister Ma Subramanian inspected a few camps in Dindugal, Karur and Ramanathapuram. A release said over five crore people have been vaccinated in government vaccination centres alone.
Speaking to mediapersons after inspecting the vaccination camp at Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital, Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan said around 26 lakh people eligible for the Covid-19 vaccine second dose didn’t receive it.
Among them 20 lakh are due for Covishield and 6.85 lakh for Covaxin. The Health Secretary added that between August and September, among COVID-19 deaths reported, 96 per cent were unvaccinated and only 4 per cent were vaccinated, but had comorbidities.