BENGALURU: This may well be a booster shot for the morale of staff in the Health Department and city corporations who are working extensively to control the virus spread and vaccinate all citizens.
After assessing the information shared by the Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry, Health Minister Dr K Sudhakar took to Twitter on Thursday to announce that Karnataka is just 0.1 per cent away from being the first large state (with four crore-plus population) to achieve 100 per cent first dose vaccination coverage.
Officials from the state Health Department and the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike expressed confidence that Karnataka will achieve the target very soon. "Already, Bengaluru Urban district, outside BBMP limits, has achieved 100 per cent vaccination coverage. This shows that the task is not impossible. It is now a social obligation and everyone must understand their duty and responsibility towards society. The door-to-door vaccination drive will be intensified and even those above 15 years of age will be covered," said a Health Department official.
According to the central ministry, 12 states and Union Territories have already achieved 100 per cent first dose coverage in the 18-plus age group. The list includes Chandigarh, Lakshwadeep, Goa, Dadar and Nagar Haveli, Himachal Pradesh, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana, Sikkim, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
State ranked 11th in second dose COVID vaccine coverage
The data showed that till 7 am on Thursday, Karnataka had achieved 99.8 per cent coverage. As the day progressed, data assessed and tabulated by National Health Mission (NHM) till 7.30 pm showed that Karnataka had achieved 99.9 per cent target in first dose coverage and 83.3 per cent in second dose coverage.
The targeted population in the 18-plus age group is 4,89,14,589 beneficiaries and the first dose has been administered to 4,88,50,589 beneficiaries while the second dose has been administered to 4,07,64,294 people.
Overall, India has completed 94 per cent first dose vaccination and Kerala had completed 99.9 per cent vaccination coverage. The data also showed that in the second dose vaccination coverage, only Andhra Pradesh had achieved 100 per cent vaccination coverage while Karnataka ranked eleventh.
Districts too to get home isolation kits
BENGALURU: With an increase in home isolation during the third wave, Health Minister Dr K Sudhakar on Thursday said just like in Bengaluru, home isolation medical kits will be provided to people in other districts too.