Kolkata: The immunisation scenario is much better in Bengal compared to figures of many BJP-ruled states where the count of infected cases is higher.
It comes at a time when the Central and state BJP leaders are constantly trying to malign the Mamata Banerjee government, accusing it of the sluggish immunisation process. As per data, Bengal has administered second dose on 65 lakh people, which is higher than the figure in Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat, about which the BJP leaders often boast of. But in reality, Bengal is ahead of both these states despite the challenges posed due to the inadequate supply of vaccines by the Centre. Wastage of vaccines in Bengal is around -6 percent. Gujarat has completed the second dose vaccination of around 63.5 lakh people where Uttar Pradesh has administered the second dose on only around 58 lakh.
According to Health department sources, it has been possible due to an effective mechanism introduced by the government for speedy implementation of the inoculation. Senior Health department officials are of the view that the drive could have been accelerated further if there was an adequate supply of vials. The state Health department has already vaccinated over 2.43 crore people cumulatively till Monday. Around 1,93,811 people have been vaccinated across the state on Monday.
The Health department's figures say that over 1.09 crore women have been vaccinated in Bengal and over 1.35 crore men have received a jab so far. Bengal has so far vaccinated over 2.47 crore people. As many as 37.5 lakh from Kolkata have received the shots so far. On Sunday, the state had vaccinated 88,391 people across Bengal. The Health department also conducted vaccination among 37,77,127 people belonging to the age bracket of 18-44 years so far as per Monday's figure. No adverse effects following immunisation (AEFI) were reported on Monday.
Bengal has so far cumulatively vaccinated 2,43,51,076 people so far as per Monday's figure.
The state had conducted around 64,924 first doses in the past 24 hours and 1,34,100 second doses of vaccination. Around 2,053 Covid vaccination centres (CVCs) have been set up till Monday. Around 2,014 AEFI cases have been reported across the state till date.
The Health department on average conducts 2-3 lakh vaccinations daily. It has already set a target of vaccinating around 5 lakh people daily but fails to achieve the target due to the short supply of doses from the Centre. The state government is expected to receive a big vaccine consignment later this month.