Kerala has administered the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine to more than half its population, state Health Minister Veena George said, stating that this included 1,77,88,931 people. "Today is a significant day for the state. We have administered the first dose vaccine to 50.25% of the 3.54 crore population (projected population for 2021). We have achieved this feat within 213 days. The vaccination in the state started on January 16," the minister said in a release. The Health Minister’s announcement came on a day when Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya visited the state to review the COVID-19 situation in the state.
The minister said the state has also administered the second dose vaccine to 67,24,294 people which is 19% of the total population. "The percentage of second dose recipients in Kerala is more than double the national average. So far, out of the 130 crore people in India, 55.05 crore have been vaccinated, including 42.86 crore first doses (32.98%) and 12.18 crore second doses (9.37%)," the minister said.
“Women in the state outnumbered men in receiving the jab. She said 90% of health workers have received the first dose of vaccine compared to 88% at the national level. A COVID-19 evaluation meeting was held in the presence of a central team visiting the state,” she said, adding that the second wave of the pandemic was delayed in Kerala and the state government focused on giving treatment to all those who reached hospitals.
The minister said that the government focused on not overburdening the health system and made necessary arrangements accordingly. “We have given instructions to increase the number of testing as the number of cases are increasing,” she said.
The minister also said at the meeting, that through the telemedicine facility, assistance was provided to 2.32 lakh people. Earlier in the day, Mansukh Mandaviya had said that the government has allocated Rs 267.35 crore to Kerala to strengthen its health infrastructure and will also provide 1.11 crore vaccines in August and September.
With PTI Inputs