Chennai: Daily reports prepared by the Directorate of Public Health to the state government have become hyping coverage of Covid-19 vaccination in Tamil Nadu as 30%, even though the coverage is only half, analysis with TOI performances.
To worsen the circumstances, the Directorate uses an unscientific method to increase the results of Serosurvey Phase 1 to expand the number of people falling under the protective umbrella against a viral infection to 62%.
On July 20, for example, the vaccination coverage report said that from 6.06 adult crore which qualified in the state, 1.49 crore people so far took the first dose and 34.22 lakh people had taken the second dose.
This means that almost 25% of the population has taken the first dose and 6% have taken the second dose.
However, the DH report shows a percentage of vaccine coverage as 30%.
Then add 32% of the seropositivity level to take the total amount to show “total vaccination (%) + lifespan of the sero supervision (%)” as 62%.
A senior official at the Public Health Department explained that they added the number of people who took the first dose and the number of people who considered the two doses to show the number of doses that had been completed.
Public health and epidemiological experts show that in that case, officials must divide the calculation with a dose target (twice the population because everyone gets two doses of vaccines).
Coverage in terms of doses will be only 16% – less than 2 crores from 12-crore populations – against 30% quoted by the report.
“This does not need misinterpretation , , “Everyone knows there is a lack of vaccines.
So, what’s wrong with saying the right number?” He said.
What has disturbed public health experts, including members of the Medical Expert Committee and Task Force, even more are the “unscientific” method of the government to increase seroposititive levels (phase I studies) conducted by 2020 to vaccination.
During the sero survey, government tests for covid antibodies that protect people against further infections.
These antibodies develop covid infections or after vaccination.
Dph officials said that the first phase of the serosurvey conducted in 2020 was only used because no one was vaccinated.
But senior microbiology such as Dr.
Gagandeep Kang from the Velore Institute of Medical Sciences previously told the toy that the seropocytivity and vaccination level could not be added because some seropositive individuals would be vaccinated later.
“Even with high levels of seropocytivity and vaccination, we still have a large population that is not protected but it will, hopefully, it is reduced by increasing coverage of vaccines over time,” he said.
While the first Sero study showed antibodies at 32% of the population, it fell to 28% in April.
Comprehensive results from the third sero phase survey conducted during the second wave are still not publicly available, even though officials say they expect it to touch at least 50%.
“Even then we have to show these two numbers independently,” said Dr.
Sunderraman.