Goemkarponn Desk
PANAJI: Directorate of Health Services (DHS) has said that the entire eligible population in Goa has received both the doses of anti-coronavirus vaccines;
With this, Goa’s Directorate of Health Services has decided to close down all its COVID-19 vaccination centres and integrate them into the normal immunisation programme, the official said.
“The state has registered 100 per cent vaccination of the second dose of anti-coronavirus vaccines. As the process has completed, the COVID-19 vaccination centres in the state will be shut and the programme will be integrated with normal immunisation programme,” Dr Ira Almeida, director of Health Services, Goa, told reporters.
Dr Rajendra Borkar, state immunisation officer, said that the target of vaccinating 11.66 lakh eligible beneficiaries of the vaccine has been completed as they were administered both the doses.
Dr Almeida said: “We still have people who are not vaccinated, especially the elderly and those with comorbidities and those who don’t want to get vaccinated. So we urge them to come forward and take the vaccine. We have achieved 100 per cent because there are a few people who visit the state during the tourism season and we have people coming in and going out of the state. Of the number that was given to us by the health ministry (11.66 lakh), we have now completed 100 per cent vaccination.”
Borkar said that vaccination will now be available at all peripheral health centres once a week for people who still wish to get vaccinated. “Vaccines are of 10 dose or 20 dose vials. So if we keep all centres open there is a lot of wastage of the vaccine. From tomorrow onwards, in all peripheral health centres across Goa, we still have vaccination but on routine immunisation days,” Borkar said.