COVID-19: Over 38,000 people vaccinated in Delhi on Tuesday

Over 38,000 beneficiaries, including 19,007 senior citizens, received COVID-19 vaccine shots in the national capital on Tuesday, according to official data.

The number of beneficiaries to get the jabs includes 3,223 people in the age group of 45-59 years, a senior official said. On Friday, 30,575 people were vaccinated in the city, on Saturday, the count was 39,853, and on Monday, it was 39,742, data released by the health department showed.

On Tuesday, 38,437 people received COVID-19 vaccine shots, the official said. Two cases of minor AEFI (adverse events following immunisation) were recorded, officials said.

Under the nationwide mega vaccination drive launched mid-January, 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.

In the first phase, which started on January 16, over 3.6 lakh healthcare workers and frontline workers were vaccinated in Delhi. More than 5,100 senior citizens in Delhi received their first shots of the vaccine on March 1, when the second phase of the vaccination drive began in the national capital.

As per official estimates, there are around 43 lakh people in the specified priority category of 60 years or above and those within 45-59 years with comorbidities in Delhi.

People within the age group of 45-59 years with comorbidities are required to produce a comorbidity certificate signed by a registered medical practitioner. A total of 20 comorbidities have been specified for vaccination, the officials said.

People eligible for vaccination have to produce their photo identity cards to get the shots. On Tuesday, second doses of the vaccine were given to 11,314 people, the officials said, adding that 2,978 frontline workers and 1,915 healthcare workers got their first shots.