Chennai, May 14(BPNS)

The Greater Chennai Corporation is embarking on a massive vaccination drive for the next three days beginning Friday. This drive will cover one lakh people above 45 years of age.

The vaccination drive has special focus on North Chennai. Thiruvottiyur, Tondiarpet, and Thiru Vaika Nagar which had a low coverage of vaccination of those above 45 years of age are the main focus for the drive.

Greater Chennai Corporation commissioner, Gagan Singh Bedi while speaking to BPNS said,” We will be completing the stocks of vaccine that we have and will vaccinate the maximum number of people in a short time to cut the rate of transmission and hence this massive drive among people who have not yet taken the vaccination.”

There is a stock of 1.2 lakh doses of Covishield and 16,000 doses of Covaxin with Greater Chennai Corporation. The corporation will keep 20% as reserve for second dose and administer the rest.

The corporation has on Thursday conducted a review meeting of Zonal medical officers and zonal health officers and decided on the vaccination drive.

Kumaresan R , a health official of Chennai corporation while speaking to BPNS said, “The vaccination drive will be held at apartment complexes, markets, residential localities and companies. Traders associations will also be called up and administered vaccines.”

According to the data available with Chennai corporation, of the 16.4 lakh doses of vaccine administered so far, Covishield accounted for 12 lakh and Covaxin 4.3 lakh.