Vaccine: Health department to clear second dose backlog

SNS, SILIGURI, 29 JUNE 21 : The state government has asked district magistrates, principals and superintendents of medical colleges, and district chief medical officers of health to assign 50 percent of Covid vaccines to those in need of the second dose, as the number of "second dose overdue" is "growing rapidly."

Protests at several vaccination centres are being reported across the state as people are not able to get the second dose. This section of the people is now concerned about whether they would be able to get their second dose within the stipulated time frame after the first one.

The health and family welfare department has asked officials concerned to identify all such due/overdue cases and schedule their second dose in a time-bound manner.

The second dose due as of today in North Bengal was 12009 for Covishield, 1900 for Covaxin in Alipurduar district, 26407 for Covishield and 3546 Covaxin doses in Cooch Behar district, according to the Co-Win portal.

For south Dinajpur district it was 12742 (Covishield) and 5808 (Covaxin), for Darjeeling district the figure for Covishield was 19,406 and 6844 for Covaxin, in Jalpaiguri district, 7551 doses for Covishield and 4373 doses for Covaxin, in Kalimpong 4568 does for Covishield and 867 does for Covaxin, for Malda the figure for Covishield was 35660 and 15976 doses of Covaxin and in North Dinajpur 19681 doses for Covishield and 4360 of Covaxin.

The health department said the current due/overdue cases should be immediately "disposed of."

The time period between the two doses of Covishield, the AstraZeneca vaccine produced by the Serum Institute of India, is between 12 weeks and 16 weeks, while there is four-six week interval for Covaxin, India's home-grown vaccine developed by Bharat Biotech.

According to the health department, the projected number of persons who have taken the first doses from 1 April to 27 May, dues of second doses up to 31 July in Alipurduar will be 58611; 85115 in Cooch Behar, 97659 in Darjeeling, 71037 in Jalpaiguri, 18734 in Kalimpong, 53914 in North Dinajpur, 67527 in South Dinajpur and 119822 in Malda.

The director of health services, Dr Ajoy Chakraborty, said that due to the shortage of vaccines the second dose will be administered on a priority basis until they receive adequate quantity.

"Therefore, in all the districts, 50 percent of the available vaccines will be reserved for the second dose only. The state government is committed to early vaccination of all," Dr Chakraborty said.

128 fresh Covid cases in Darjeeling district

Darjeeling district recorded 128 new Covid-19 cases, while 29 cases were found in the Siliguri Municipal Corporation, including areas under Jalpaiguri district, today, sources said.

Matigara logged 24 new cases, 16 were found in Sukna, 13 in Naxalbari, nine in Bijanbari, seven in Mirik, six in Kurseong Municipality, three in Bijanbari, two each in Darjeeling Municipality and Phansidewa and one case in Mirik Municipality.

Meanwhile, 135 persons recovered in the past 24 hours in the district, the sources said.

Covid deaths

Around two persons who had tested positive for Covid-19 died at the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital in the past 24 hours, sources said.