Chennai: 69% of Covid fatalities in December were unvaccinated

CHENNAI: Nearly seven out of 10 people who died in the city due to Covid-19 in December had not taken two doses of vaccines, Greater Chennai Corporation officials said on Monday.
Data from the medical records of state-run medical colleges and Covid hospitals in the city show that 28 out of the 41 people who died in December did not take the vaccine.
Data from the state health bulletin showed that most of them had comorbidities and were aged over 60. A total of 37 out of the 41 people who died had comorbidities such as Parkinson's, hypertension or diabetes, and most of them were senior citizens. Most people were infected with the Delta variant, officials said.
Though more than 90% of adults in Chennai have taken at least one dose of vaccine and more than 70% have completed vaccination, more than 3 lakh people have ignored the vaccine and at least 8 lakh people are due for the second dose, officials said. "We are seeing immense benefits from vaccination," said corporation commissioner Gagandeep Singh Bedi.
Urgent need to increase awareness
As vaccination increased, we saw a decrease in the percentage of people getting into hospitals, Gagandeep Singh Bedi said.
Similar results were seen across the state in September last year. In August and September, of the 88,719 people tested positive in Tamil Nadu, at least 63% did not take any vaccine, 24% of them were partially vaccinated and 13% were fully vaccinated. The difference was stark in ICU admissions and deaths.
Nearly 87% of deaths and 76% of ICU admissions were among those who were unvaccinated. "We do see fully vaccinated adults testing positive for the viral infection. A reason why we still ask them to wear masks, maintain social distancing and follow Covid-19 protocols, but the risk of infection is lower," said director of public health Dr T S Selva Vinayagam. "On the other hand, ICU admissions and deaths are significantly higher among those unvaccinated. Every dose of vaccine has improved benefits. We saw fewer fully vaccinated people in the ICU," he said.
At government Stanley medical college hospital there were two deaths in December. "Both patients were unvaccinated," said dean Dr P Balaji.
With a resurgence in cases, the state should improve its health education and awareness, and ensure 100% coverage, said Vellore-based senior virologist Dr T Jacob John.