New Delhi: Over 14,800 people received COVID-19 vaccine shots in Delhi on Friday in the fourth week of the inoculation drive. The authorities are now geared up for the roll-out of the second dose of vaccination on Saturday for beneficiaries who were given jabs in the beginning of the exercise. As per doctors, the second dose is to be given to a beneficiary after a gap of 28 days.

A senior doctor at the Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital said, “We are all heard up for the second dose delivery on Saturday.” 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 schedule day was much higher at 4,936 (48 per cent).

After a sluggish start, since the exercise was kicked off January 16, the inoculation drive had picked up pace in the last several days. “Today, 14,843 people were administered coronavirus vaccine, and AEFI (adverse events following immunisation) was reported in seven persons,” a senior official of the Delhi Health Department said.

The number of centres where vaccination was carried out on Friday stood at 257, with a turnout of about 57 per cent. At the four North Delhi Municipal Corporation-run hospitals, the vaccinated beneficiaries count stood at over 200 on Friday with the cumulative figures being 1,850.

On Thursday, 15,807 people got vaccinated with a turnout of about 60 per cent. On Wednesday, the corresponding figures were 14,743 with a turnout of about 80 per cent.

Besides healthcare workers, frontline workers, who include, police, civil defence staff, DJB and electricity department employees, among others, are also getting jabs in the last several days. Also, the number of scheduled days, from initially being four days – Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday – have now been extended been extended to six days a week, Monday-Saturday.

The number of people vaccinated against COVID-19 till date in Delhi, majority of them being healthcare workers, has crossed the one lakh-mark, officials had said on February 6. Various reasons were being attributed to the low turnout in the initial days, including some technical issues and apprehensions related to adverse events.

Oxford COVID-19 vaccine Covishield is being administered at majority of the centres while Bharat Biotech-made Covaxin doses given at the remaining 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.

The district-wise distribution of total seven AEFI cases on Thursday was – Central Delhi (0), East Delhi (0), New Delhi (2), North Delhi (0), North East Delhi (1), North West Delhi (0), Shahdara (1), South Delhi (3), South East Delhi (0), South West Delhi (0) and West Delhi (0), according to data shared by authorities. With a low turnout of healthcare workers in the initial 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.

He had reiterated that this is a voluntary exercise and people are making their own decisions, as it’s the initial phase.