Kerala will begin a Covid-19 vaccination drive for those aged above 60 starting Monday to ensure they get at least one shot by August 15
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said at a meeting that the state would directly obtain 20 lakh doses and hand it over to private hospitals, which would be allotted vaccines on the basis of facilities.
He said the drive, which would continue till the end of this month, was also aimed at completing the vaccination of final year degree and post-graduate students as well as teachers of lower and upper primary school teachers.
A large chunk of high school, higher secondary teachers had been already vaccinated as part of inoculating those on recent election duty.
The Chief Minister said business establishments and organisations are free to join hands with private hospitals to ensure shots for their targeted local people. The bed-ridden would be vaccinated at their homes, as part of ensuring first dose for those aged above 60.
In Kerala, 53 per cent of the eligible population (above the age of 18) have got one dose. Only 22 per cent of them, however, got two shots.
Meanwhile, an expert team deputed by the central government to evaluate the pandemic in Kerala has found that 5,042 persons in Pathanamthitta district who have taken two doses of vaccine have got infected. Of them, 258 had been infected 15 days after their second dose. Four of them, aged above 80, had died. The figure of those infected after the single dose in the district is 14,974.The committee had conducted the analysis only in Pathanamthitta district.
Health Minister Veena George told the media that the analysis demonstrated the effectiveness of the vaccine.The four people who died of Covid-19 even after vaccination had comorbidity issues. Others who got infected after vaccination did not develop any serious health issue, she said.