Jharkhand extends intensive vaccination drive for 45-plus to all 7 days

RANCHI: The intensive vaccination programme during weekends that was aimed at improving the vaccination coverage among beneficiaries above 45 years of age has been extended to other days of the week. The decision was taken after the initiative got lukewarm response. A mere 51% of the total targeted beneficiaries turned up for inoculation during the first two days of the programme.
A directive in this regard was issued by the state nodal officer for vaccination, A Dodde.
Dodde said: “We are extending the drive to other days apart from weekends in order to increase the coverage so that more and more people could be inoculated.”
Meanwhile, TOI visited a few Covid vaccination centre (CVC) on Sunday and found that the turnout continued to be low even after special CVCs had provisions of spot registration for beneficiaries. At Birsa Munda Football Stadium Morhabadi CVC, only 70 persons had turned up to take their jabs till the afternoon, even though the centre had a capacity of vaccinating more than 200 beneficiaries.
A few beneficiaries at the Morhabadi CVC said that many people were not aware of the special CVCs and that was the reason for the low turnout. “I was informed by a friend’s father who works in a media house about the special CVC, so I brought my mother for vaccination today. Many do not know that they can get their registration done at the centre. I guess the government should spread the word,” Ashok Bhokta said.
On being asked what steps were being taken to ensure more and more beneficiaries were informed about the intensive drive, Dodde said: “We have distributed IEC materials to all districts and deputy commissioners have been asked to spread the word through mass media. The health secretary (Arun Kumar Singh) has also spoken to the DCs and has asked them to take corrective measures in this regard.”
As per the data from the health department, a total of 1,55,778 beneficiaries out of the targeted 3,03,320 have been inoculated during the first two days of the vaccination drive taking the coverage to around 51%.