Health Minister Mandaviya urges 3 states, Puducherry to intensify vaccination drive

Alarmed at low vaccination rates across three states of Manipur, Meghalaya and Nagaland and the Union Territory of Puducherry, Union Health Minister Masukh Mandaviya urges authorities to take to innovative measures to increase vaccination coverage

New Delhi:Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Monday urged Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland and Puducherry to launch aggressive campaign to ensure full Covid-19 inoculation of the adult population.

Reiterating that vaccination is the most potent weapon in the fight against the pandemic, Mandaviya urged the states and the union territory to rope in all stakeholders, including NGOs, faith-based organisations, religious leaders, influencers and other partners, to mobilise all eligible population towards full Covid vaccination, a health ministry statement said.

"We are in the last lap of Covid-19 vaccination. Let us launch aggressive campaign to ensure full Covid-19 vaccination by increasing the pace of vaccination and expanding the coverage," he said, while virtually interacting with health secretaries and senior officials of the health department from Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland and Puducherry, during a meeting he chaired to review the status of vaccination drive under the 'Har Ghar Dastak' campaign.

These states and the UT have been reporting low vaccination coverage, the health ministry statement said.

While India's first dose coverage is at 82 percent and second dose coverage at 43 percent, Puducherry (66 & 39%), Nagaland (49 & 36%), Meghalaya (57 & 38%) and Manipur (54 & 36%) lag behind from national average in their first and second dose coverage, it said.

"Let us ensure collectively that no eligible citizen is left without the 'Suraksha Kawachh' of Covid-19 vaccine in the country, and to address issues of hesitancy, misinformation, superstition etc."

Motivate and mobilise beneficiaries, tells minister

Mandaviya urged the states to deploy all state government officials, one day each week, to visit each eligible household to motivate and mobilise them towards full vaccination, the statement said.

He reiterated the prime minister's mop-up strategies for strengthening the 'Har Ghar Dastak' campaign, including deploying 'Prachar Toli' in advance to villages, which would ensure mobilisation and counselling of the eligible population along with awareness campaigns, followed by the 'Vaccination Toli', who would ensure that all eligible citizens are vaccinated with the first and second dose, it stated.

"I have observed during my recent visit to Arunachal Pradesh the use of stickers of 'Fully Vaccinated Home'. Similar innovative strategies can be used in other states too," he said.

States can also make children and students Covid vaccination ambassadors to urge and motivate the elders and eligible members in their families and communities to take both doses, the minister added.

Rate of vaccination

While India's first dose coverage is at 82 per cent (as on date), except for the Union Territory of Puducherry, coverage of other states remain below 60 per cent, according to the statement.

Meghalaya, with a target population over 20 lakh, has eight lakh people waiting to be given first dose and due beneficiaries for second dose are over 2.5 lakh, it said.

Similarly, Manipur has over 10 lakh people yet to get their first dose and over 3.7 lakh due beneficiaries for their second dose out of a target population of 23.4 lakh.

Nagaland, with a target population of 14.7 lakh, has over 7.5 lakh first doses to be achieved and 1.2 lakh beneficiaries due for second doses. Puducherry, with a population has 11.3 lakh, has 3.88 lakh people yet to get first dose and 1.91 lakh eligible but yet to receive second dose, the statement said.

PTI