Bengaluru Urban, which includes the BBMP, is the only district in Karnataka to administer 50 or more doses per 100 people, according to Health and Medical Education Minister Dr K Sudhakar.
Bengaluru Urban, Kodagu, Kolar, Ramanagar and Udupi make up the top five in administering the most doses for every 100 people, the minister tweeted on Wednesday.
Bengaluru Urban with an adult population of 77,86,403 administered 53,14,049 doses until June 21. This works out to 68.25 doses per 100 people, as per the data shared by Sudhakar. Bengaluru Urban has five taluks (Bengaluru South, North, East, North Additional (Yelahanka) and Anekal. The BBMP is only one part of Bengaluru Urban.
Kodagu, whose adult population is just 4,02,560, has administered 1,99,416 doses, or 49.54 doses per 100 people. Kolar with an adult population of 11,76,068 has administered 5,74,038 doses, which is 48.81 doses per 100 people. Ramanagar, which has an adult population of 8,31,302, administered 4,03,747 doses, or 48.57 doses per 100 people. Udupi, whose adult population stands at 10,02,762, has administered 4,78,030 doses, which works out to 47.67 doses per 100 doses.
On Wednesday (until 7.50 pm), Karnataka vaccinated 3,68,360 people, as per the Co-WIN dashboard. The BBMP vaccinated 54,609 people, other areas in Bengaluru Urban 19,460, Dakshina Kannada 29,096, Mysuru 27,883, Belagavi 27,048 and Tumakuru 21,575.
D Randeep, Special Commissioner, Health, BBMP, said that for all practical purposes, Bengaluru Urban was synonymous with the BBMP. While the BBMP has 141 primary health centres (PHCs), other parts of the district have just 21 PHCs. “Our (BBMP’s) static sites and workplace vaccination sites are higher in number. Since people hailing from other districts and migrant workers also reside here, the number of doses administered is high,” he explained.
On Wednesday, the BBMP received fresh supply of 45,840 doses only at noon. In the morning, the Palike used Tuesday’s leftover doses, Randeep said.
In the 18-44 age group, the BBMP is vaccinating only the priority groups. “There is no government order that says we can vaccinate the 18-44 age group who don’t fall under the priority groups at government vaccination sites. At our PHCs, Annexure 3 has to be produced for priority groups to get vaccinated,” he added.
According to Randeep, a large number of people belonging to the priority groups, healthcare workers, frontline workers and the working class reside in Bengaluru. While the BBMP has covered a lot of people by way of workplace vaccination, it’s still leaving out the general population in the 18-44 age group. They can get vaccinated privately, he added.