The Health Department in Tamil Nadu hopes to have over five crore people vaccinated against COVID-19 across the State, said Minister for Medical and Family Welfare Ma Subramanian on Saturday.
He said the department has advised health officials to administer the vaccines to more people against the targeted 15 lakh through 20,000 camps.
“Following a letter sent by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin to Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) and the efforts taken by Health Secretary (J Radhakrishnan), we have received 29 lakh vaccines and instructed officials to administer as many vaccines as possible against the targeted 15 lakh,” he told reporters here.
So far, he said, 4.41 crore people have been inoculated and they included 24.47 lakh who got the vaccine in private hospitals. The number is expected to cross five crore, he said.
“We appeal to members of the public to extend their cooperation during the third mega vaccination camp on Sunday,” said the Health Minister.
He said 56 per cent of the population have received single dose of the vaccine and 16 per cent double doses.
“Through the camp tomorrow (Sunday), we are planning to inoculate 20-25 lakh. With this, the number who got the single dose was expected to reach 60 per cent,” he said.
In the first camp on September 12, a total of 28.91 lakh were vaccinated in over 40,000 camps. On September 19, 16.43 lakh were covered through 20,000 camps, he said.
He said the Kalaignar Insurance Scheme has benefited 30,548 people since May 7.
Following Chief Minister M K Stalin’s instruction, 1,850 people affected by black fungus were included in the scheme, Subramanian added.
