Over 7,400 healthcare workers received COVID-19 vaccine shots in Delhi on Monday as the inoculation drive picked up pace in the city, recording 91 per cent turnout for the day, officials said. The targeted number for vaccination on January 25 was 8,100, they said. “On January 25, 7,408 people were administered coronavirus vaccine, with a coverage span of 91.5 per cent. AEFI (adverse events following immunisation) was reported in 14 persons, all minor cases,” a senior official of the Delhi Health Department said.

Under the nationwide mega vaccination drive launched on January 16, a total of 4,319 (53 per cent) health workers against a target of 8,117 were administered the shots at 81 centres across the city on day one.

On the second scheduled day, the figures had stood at 3,598 (44 per cent of the target). The sharp fall had come after one severe and 50 minor adverse effect cases were reported on the opening day of the vaccination drive.

The count on the third scheduled day was much higher, at 4,936 (48 per cent).

On Monday, the count was 110 at the Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital, and 100 at the Delhi State Cancer Institute, a senior doctor at RGSSH said. Figures from other hospitals were awaited.

Counselling sessions conducted over the past few days have helped in ramping up the number, the doctor said, adding Indian Medical Association (IMA) doctors also helped in boosting the confidence of healthcare workers and removing hesitancy from their minds.

Various reasons are being attributed to the low turnout in the initial days, including some technical issues and apprehensions related to adverse events.

However, the government has maintained that no case of serious/severe AEFI is attributable to the vaccination till date.

The district-wise distribution of total 16 AEFI cases on Monday were — Central Delhi (2), East Delhi (4), New Delhi (2), North Delhi (1), North East Delhi (0), North West Delhi (0), Shahdara (2), South Delhi (2), South East Delhi (0), South West Delhi (0) and West Delhi (1), according to the data.

As per district-wise data shared by officials, 13 of the 14 minor cases of AEFI were reported at sites where Covishield shots being administered, and one at a centre where Covaxin shots were administered.

After a low turnout of healthcare workers on the first two days of the COVID-19 vaccination drive, Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain had recently said the exercise is voluntary and a matter of “personal decision” for people whether to get a shot or not, but all efforts are being made to boost their confidence.

This is a voluntary exercise and people are making their own decisions as it is an initial phase, he reiterated.

The vaccine is to be administered in Delhi on four scheduled days of the week — Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. It will not be given on Sunday and two others days of the week when other regular vaccination work will be carried out.

Oxford COVID-19 vaccine Covishield is being administered at 75 centres, while Bharat Biotech-made Covaxin doses are being given at the remaining six facilities.

The Delhi government had taken measures like counselling and formal phone calls to raise the percentage of healthcare workers turning up for being administered COVID-19 vaccine shots. 

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