9,940 get 2nd jab in MP, districts with dedicated focus perform better

BHOPAL: Exactly 35 calendar days after the first vaccine shot against Covid-19, the second jab of the vaccine was administered to health care workers across Madhya Pradesh, on Saturday. Districts that mostly catered to second dose of vaccination fared well. Health department attempt was to cater to provide first dose of frontline workers and remaining health workers along with second dose for beneficiaries.

Second dose was administered in 13 districts of Madhya Pradesh. It includes, Alirajpur, Bhind, Bhopal, Chhatarpur, Dhar, Dindori, Indore, Jhabua, Narsinghpur, Sehore, Shajapur, Sheopur and Ujjain. The second shot of the vaccine is expected to provide more complete immunity against Covid-19.

In these 13 districts, every second inoculation shot on Saturday was to a health worker who came for the second shot of the vaccine. Shahjapur district administered most number of second doses: 694. “Except for those with contraindications, we have inoculated all registered beneficiaries for first dose,” said Shahjapur chief medical and health officer (CMHO), Dr Raju Nidharia. Only 4% of the day’s vaccination was administered as first dose. It was to RPF employees, he added. District has achieved 94% vaccination of 8950 people since the drive began on January 16 in MP.

The second shot can be administered 28 days after the first inoculation. Antibodies give immunity against Covid-19 infection develop after crucial second shot. 450 second vaccine shots were administered in Dhar district. Like Shahjapur, here too the number of people listed for second dose was higher than those called for first dose on Saturday. Dedicated focus on second dose administration only lead to a visible impact of a higher turnout in Alirajpur and Dindori district too. “Proper communication channel was established and almost all of the shortlisted were administered the second dose,” said Dhar chief medical and health officer (CMHO), Dr RC Panika. Around 150 were administered the first dose on Saturday, he added.