9 months on, over 1.3 lakh health workers in Karnataka still unvaccinated

PHANA president-elect Dr Govindaiah Yatheesh says Covid-infected health workers think vaccination is unnecessary

Nine months after Covid vaccination began on January 16, more than 1.36 lakh of 9 lakh-plus health workers in the state are yet to receive their first dose of Covid vaccine. Over 7.63 lakh health workers have received at least the first dose of vaccine, as on October 8.

Also, out of 10.2 lakh-plus frontline workers enrolled for the vaccine, more than 9.40 lakh have received at least their first dose, which means 79,478 have remained unvaccinated.

While the Health Ministry, in its October 7 media briefing, said 99 per cent of the registered health workers across the country have received their first dose, and 85 per cent of them got both the doses, in Karnataka the numbers tell a different story. Here, while 7,63,301 health workers have only received their first dose, which is 84.81 per cent, as many as 6,60,295 of them got both doses which is 73.36 per cent.

Similarly, according to the Health Ministry, 100 per cent frontline workers have got their first dose while 83 per cent of them received both doses. In Karnataka, 92.22 per cent of frontline workers have received their first dose while 72.72 per cent have gotten their second dose.

Out of those vaccinated, as many as 2,10,110 health workers, who received the first dose, were in BBMP limits while 1,58,989 of them received the second dose, said BBMP Special Commissioner (Health) D Randeep. There are over 2.5 lakh health workers registered in Bengaluru. Hence, 84.04 per cent of them have received their first dose in BBMP limits while 63.59 per cent have received the second dose.

“The health department’s daily bulletin stopped mentioning target beneficiaries in health workers and frontline workers categories after Covid vaccination was rolled out for the 18-44 years category,” said a health department official requesting anonymity.

Also Read | At 397, Karnataka records lowest daily Covid-19 cases so far during second wave

While Health Commissioner Dr K V Trilok Chandra did not respond to DH’s queries, Private Hospitals and Nursing Homes Association (PHANA), said as far as private hospitals were concerned, barring two or three para-medical hospital personnel, 100 per cent of hospital staff had been vaccinated.

Attrition of hospital staff and duplication of records also causes data to be skewed, said hospital administrators.

“Vaccinations might not have got recorded as no one among the staff would have updated it. Are workplace vaccinations being done? At least, if the government takes stock of the percentage of workplaces vaccinated, employers will coax and push employees though we can’t mandate it,” said the head of a hospital.

PHANA president-elect Dr Govindaiah Yatheesh said Covid-infected health workers think vaccination is unnecessary with antibodies already in sufficient levels. “Some have fear and phobia of needles. Some housekeeping hospital staff and doctors cited religious reasons for not taking vaccination,” he said.

PHANA vice president Dr Shobha Prakash said after the second Covid wave it was proved beyond doubt that vaccination helps and even those who became Covid positive had a less severe infection. “Vaccine acceptance increased a lot, especially after the second Covid wave,” she said.

Check out latest DH videos here: