K'taka govt conducts vaccination drive as expiry dates approach

Bengaluru: The government held a major vaccination drive across Karnataka to provide the second and booster doses to individuals who missed them, as the health department's Covid vaccine stocks approached their expiration dates.

Nearly 2.5 lakh doses of Covaxin and about 8 lakh of Covishield are scheduled to expire on January 31 and February 9, respectively, according to departmental sources.

The department has not established any particular targets for the districts during these vaccination programs, according to D. Randeep, commissioner of health and family welfare. "Simply put, we are mobilising sufficient beneficiaries to cut down on vaccination wastage. All the districts have been told to use the Covaxin and Covishield doses allotted by making sure the largest number of beneficiaries are covered. Overall, 50% of the target population is the goal," he added. Officials from the health department declined to respond when asked if the vaccination wastage might have been prevented. On January 16, the Centre shipped eight lakh doses of Covishield to the government. Dr. Naveen Bhat Y, mission director for the National Health Mission, said, "We have refilled our supply and have dispersed it among districts based on the demand."

According to Randeep, vaccines were given as part of the mega booster drive in workplaces, bus stops, railway stations, prisons, businesses, and construction sites.

The BBMP has taken action to deliver booster doses in order to increase coverage. "The drive is ongoing and does not have a deadline. Up to 20,000 residents of the BBMP's boundaries received vaccinations on Saturday. We have partnered with trade associations, colleges, and universities," BBMP Special Commissioner for Health Dr. KV Thrilok Chandra. Chandra said that BBMP will schedule daily booster dosage drives at PHCs.

When asked if the BBMP will be able to reach its vaccine goals with this program, Chandra responded, "That will be our target. We are hoping to administer approximately 1.5 lakh doses by January-end." The precautionary dose is available to those over the age of 18.