We have set a target to achieve 100 pc vaccination coverage by November-end: Ma Subramanian

Even if there is a fourth or fifth wave of the contagion, the fatalities due to the virus was expected to be 'minimal' since it has been proved that people who receive the vaccination were 97.5 per cent safe, the Medical and Family Welfare Minister said here. Subramanian was talking to reporters after inaugurating the 10th mega vaccination camp in the city. According to him, till Saturday night 6.49 crore people received the jabs of which 4.31 crore received first dose while 2.17 people received second dose in the state.

Vaccination drive was formally rolled out by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 16 in New Delhi while former chief Minister K Palaniswami commenced the drive in Madurai in Tamil Nadu on the same day under the AIADMK rule. Noting that 72 lakh people in the state were yet to receive the second dose, the Minister said the officials of Greater Chennai Corporation, medical and family welfare and local administration departments collected the details of the beneficiaries and the persons were being invited to take the jabs.

Meanwhile, Subramanian said 4,381 people were affected by Dengue fever in the state and currently 541 people were under treatment. ''Awareness campaigns on prevention of dengue are being held besides conducting fogging operations (to control the disease)...,'' he said.

Health Department Principal Secretary J Radhakrishnan, Greater Chennai Corporation Commissioner Gagandeep Singh Bedi were among those who were present on the occasion.