News Analysis India

Tag: COVID vaccine drive

  • Women behind men in India’s covid vaccine coverage, gender-gap wider among older population

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI:  Despite repeated prodding by the Centre, gender gap in Covid-19 vaccination in India persists. About 47.5% women having received the shots as against over 52.5% men who got them. As on Wednesday afternoon, of about 76,09,63,563 doses administered in India, 39,89,69,610 shots had been administered to men. Number of women beneficiaries was 36,19,93,953. A minuscule number of transgenders have also received them. 

    In late June, nearly two months after vaccination opened for all adults, women’s share in the total inoculation was 46%. The fact that it has grown by only 1.5 % even when the national vaccination drive has gathered pace indicates that access to vaccines for women remains a major challenge. 

    The issue refuses to settle down even as the Union health ministry, in various meetings with the states, has taken up the matter and the National Commission for Women also wrote to  chief secretaries of all states to close the gender gap in Covid-19 vaccination.

    ALSO READ: Sharp dip in antibodies after three-four months of receiving Covid vaccine, find researchers

    The gap in coverage between the two genders is a matter of great concern, the NCW had said last month arguing that there is an urgent need to increase the proportion of women coming to vaccination booths. The letter, shared with health secretaries of all the states, underlined that there is a need to create awareness so that more and more women are vaccinated on priority.

    The Centre has been highlighting that the gender-gap in administering vaccines is significantly more among elderly population than the younger females. “It reflects the existing gender stereotypes in the society due to which women are left behind and the reasons include unequal access to resources and technology for both genders,” it had told the states. 

    Many women’s rights activists have been pointing out that in many households, women’s health is not considered a priority as compared to men if they do not work outside the home and end up getting less preference for vaccination.

    Russia requests vaccine export

    New Delhi: The Russian ambassador has urged India to allow export of single-dose vaccine Sputnik Light produced by Hetero, one of the RDIF’s partners in production, to his country till it gets emergency use authorisation from India.

  • Over 45.73 crores COVID-19 vaccine doses provided to states, UTs so far: Centre

    The ministry further said 2,28,27,959 balance and unutilised COVID vaccine doses are still available with the states, UTs and private hospitals to be administered.

  • Nearly 4.5 million beneficiaries vaccinated against COVID-19 in 19 days: Health Ministry

    By ANI
    NEW DELHI: At least 44,49,552 beneficiaries have received COVID-19 vaccination in merely 19 days, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) said on Thursday.

    “Many other countries have had a head start of almost 65 days. India launched the countrywide COVID19 vaccination drive on January 16, 2021. The number of beneficiaries being vaccinated every day has also shown a progressive increase,” the Ministry said.

    In the last 24 hours, 3,10,604 people were vaccinated across 8,041 sessions. 84,617 sessions have been conducted so far. 54.87 per cent of the total beneficiaries vaccinated against COVID-19, so far, are from seven States.

    India’s Covid-19 active caseload has dropped to 1.55 lakh (1,55,025) and comprises just 1.44 per cent of the total infections.

    “The day-on-day change in number of active cases over the past few weeks depicts the consistent decline in the active cases,” it said.

    The Ministry said that India’s daily positivity rate is 1.82 per cent, as of today and has maintained the daily positivity rate below 2 per cent in last few weeks (19 days).

    Meanwhile, the total recovered cases stand at 1,04,80,455.

    “The difference in new recoveries outnumbering new cases has also improved the recovery rate to 97.13 per cent today. The total recovered cases are 67.6 times the active cases,” it added.

    It said that 86.04 per cent of the new recovered cases are observed to be concentrated in six states and UTs.

    “Maharashtra has reported the maximum number of single-day recoveries with 7,030 newly recovered cases. 6,380 people recovered in Kerala in the past 24 hours followed by 533 in Tamil Nadu,” it added.

    84.67 per cent of the new cases are from six states and UTs.

    Kerala continues to report the highest daily new cases at 6,356. It is followed by Maharashtra with 2,992, while Tamil Nadu reported 514 new cases.

    Six states and UTs account for 71.03 per cent of the new deaths. Maharashtra saw the maximum casualties (30). Kerala follows with 20 daily deaths. Both West Bengal and Chhattisgarh have reported 7 casualties.

  • Chhattisgarh witnesses 61% turnout on first day of COVID vaccination drive

    By Express News Service
    RAIPUR: Despite reassurances on the efficacy of the coronavirus vaccine, Chhattisgarh witnessed a mere 61 per cent turnout among those who had registered to get inoculated on the first day.

    Out of the 9,135 healthcare workers who were to be administered the first dose on priority, 5,592 voluntarily turned up to the designated site to receive ‘Covishield’.

    Several senior doctors and health professionals from both government and private hospitals in the state took the jabs on the first day to assure others and secure public acceptability during the nationwide campaign. 

    ALSO READ | COVID vaccination drive day 1 report: Here’s how TN, Kerala, Odisha, and Telangana fared

    There are 97 centers created in the state with each having the capacity to vaccinate 100 persons a day.

    Health worker Tulsa Tandi working at the Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Medical College in Raipur was the first to receive the vaccine dose.

    The vaccination will be carried out on four days a week and will not be held on Sunday, Tuesday and Friday, said Amar Singh Thakur, Chhattisgarh immunization officer.

    The highest turnout was recorded at Ambikapur, in north Chhattisgarh, with 378 registered health workers, and the lowest among the 28 districts was in Narayanpur, with just 48 healthcare workers given the first dose.