The Union Territory on Thursday launched Covid-19 vaccination for the 18-44 age segment across seven session sites in the four regions of Puducherry, Karaikal, Mahe and Yanam.
Launching the drive at the ESI Hospital, Lt. Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan said the enthusiastic response to the vaccination programme from the target segment, especially young adults, was praiseworthy.
“An estimated 1,600 persons, including 400 beneficiaries at the ESI session site, had booked slots for their first shot on the launch day,” the Lt. Governor said.
Ms. Soundararajan urged youth to set an example for elders and turn into “coronavirus vaccination ambassadors” in their families and neighbourhoods. Noting that there still seemed to be some amount of vaccine hesitancy among the 45-plus age segment, she appealed for the support of the youth in motivating elders to take the jab.
“I see their (youth) readily volunteering for vaccination as a sign of their social awareness. I would like to see this sense of social obligation also extend to adoption of safety protocols such as wearing masks and not venturing out without a valid cause,” the Lt. Governor said.
She reiterated that while there had been not a single death linked to vaccination in India or anywhere in the world, while only 0.000543 per cent of those who took the jab reported adverse reaction.
“The importance of vaccination cannot be understated given the warnings by experts of more waves of the pandemic. Through vaccination, we can get a critical level of protection against future waves of coronavirus”, she said.
Health Secretary T. Arun and other officials participated.
The drive was launched with a stock of 30,000 vaccines and replenishments will be drawn on the basis of offtake, health officials said.
