Vax nos rise by 40% on Tue due to women’s special drive

Nagpur: Covid-19 vaccination rose 40% in the district on Tuesday as Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) and Zilla Parishad (ZP) conducted special vaccination day for women. Number of female beneficiaries was higher than males, probably for the first time since launch of Covid-19 vaccination programme.
NMC and ZP conducted special vaccination drive for women on Tuesday in the district as per directives of guardian minister Nitin Raut.It was a part of preparations for the projected third wave.
Main motive behind the drive was to ensure that entire family, especially children, will be safe once even women are inoculated. Also, if women have completed two doses, they can take care of their children if the latter are infected.
Average daily vaccination of the district in last 15 days was 19,829. On Tuesday, 27,733 took the jab for an increase of 40%. The data is as per central government portal.
The district information office (DIO) could give bifurcation of 27,262 beneficiaries. As per DIO, 14,752 (54.11%) of total beneficiaries were women, 12,506 (45.87%) were men, and four were from others category.
Sources from NMC and ZP told TOI it was probably the first time since launch of vaccination on January 16 that number of women was higher than men in a day.
It is also evident from the data, as 34,92,303 total doses have been completed in the district as on Tuesday. Of total doses, first doses were 25,07,311 and second doses were 9,84,992.
Of total doses, male beneficiaries were 18,24,735 (52.25%), females 16,66,980 (47.73%) and others 588 (0.02). Overall, women are lagging behind men in vaccination in the district.
As a part of the special drive for women, NMC and ZP reached out to residential localities to find unvaccinated women.
NMC chief medical officer Dr Sanjay Chilkar told TOI, “We engaged 762 ASHA workers who visited door-to-door in few localities and identified areas where women in large numbers are yet to be vaccinated. Our team went to around 46 localities and inoculated groups of women in their areas itself.”
Dr Chilkar added some women themselves turned up at the vaccination centres on hearing of special vaccination drive organized for them. “Females were given special preference at centres.”
The special drive was only for one day.
Dr Chilkar also said, “NMC will facilitate vaccination for women in their localities if we get high numbers in a particular area. Already, NMC teams are visiting slum areas and inoculating all people who are yet to take first dose,” he said.
The ZP engaged its team, Anganwadi sevikas, women self-help-groups, public representatives etc to identify women who are yet to take the jab, and vaccinated them on Tuesday.