AP records 48.90 pc coverage in phase I COVID-19 vaccination; Second phase from Wednesday

A little over 48 per cent of thetargeted 3.88 lakh healthcare workers were administeredcoronavirus vaccines in Andhra Pradesh in the first phase fromJanuary 16 as the government is set to launch the second phaseto cover frontline staff of various departments fromWednesday.

While it was targeted to administer both CoviShield andCovaxin to 3,88,327 healthcare workers in the first phase,only 1,89,890 working out to 48.90 per cent got the shots tilldate, Deputy Chief Minister (Health) A K K Srinivas told apress conference here on Tuesday.

The government has attributed the slow pace ofvaccination to 'misgivings' even among doctors.

In an obvious political line, Srinivas said the focuslaid on conduct of elections to gram panchayats also affectedthe COVID-19 vaccination drive in the state.

State chief Secretary Aditya Nath Das in a recentgovernment order had noted that incidents of death of ahealthcare worker and the hospitalisation of a dentist''impacted the vaccination programme.'' The nationwide COVID-19 vaccination began on January 16and so far only on three holidays it was not conducted.

East Godavari district topped the state with 22,260healthcare workers getting the first dose, followed byVisakhapatnam with 20,620.

Vizianagaram was at the bottom with 10,535, though interms of per centage it came second with 60.32 of the target.

Neighbouring Srikakulam topped with 63.79 per centcoverage.

In the second phase, 5.90 lakh frontline workers ofdepartments like revenue, panchayat raj, municipaladministration and police were registered for the vaccination.

The revenue staff alone would be 3,32,600.

However, Director General of Police D G Sawang said hisforce decided to ''forego their rightful vaccination'' in theinterest of public health, safety and the constitutionally-enshrined democratic process of electioneering.

''In the circumstances, vaccination will disrupt anddislocate the duty and responsibility of police personnel asthey have to be deployed for election duties and also providebandobust for the vaccination programme. We cannot afford tocause the disruption and hence we will forego ourvaccination,'' he told reporters.

Principal Secretary (Health) Anil Kumar Singhal said3,181 session sites would be operated for the phase-2 of thevaccination programme.

''We have programmed the sessions in such a way that thehealthcare workers, who already received the first dose, willalso be given the second dose at the respective locations,'' hesaid.

The state so far received 16,31,290 doses of CoviShieldand Covaxin, sufficient enough to cover two rounds for eachbeneficiary, he said.