Kerala has administered over 80 percent of eligible population with first dose of COVID vaccine, says Pinarayi Vijayan

Thiruvananthapuram: Over 80 percent of the population which is eligible for vaccination in the state has been administered the first dose of vaccine, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on Wednesday. The CM, at a press conference, said that over 32 percent of the population eligible for vaccination have received both jabs of the vaccine. He said the state government’s endeavour was to ensure that all those above 18 years of age are administered the first dose of vaccine by the end of September and both doses in 2-3 months time. Speaking to the media about the COVID-19 situation in the state, the CM said that there was an increase in the number of people who are reaching hospitals late after getting infected by COVID-19 and that this trend was not heartening or encouraging. He further said that a large percentage of the people who died due to COVID-19 were unvaccinated and since there was a significant number of persons above the age of 60 years who had not yet been inoculated, they should necessarily get both doses of the vaccine. He said that despite being vaccinated, people were getting infected and though such individuals may not be severely affected by the virus, they could spread it to others who are unvaccinated. Therefore, even those who are vaccinated should follow the COVID-19 protocols like wearing masks and maintaining social distancing, he said. He said the sero prevalence study being carried out in the state to assess the extent of infection is expected to be completed by the end of September.