This story is from January 3, 2022

Vaccination drive on track in Chamarajanagar

Vaccination drive on track in Chamarajanagar
Mysuru: The border district of Chamarajanagar is inching closer to 100% target achievement, in administering the first dose of the vaccine to protect against Covid-19. As on December 30, the district vaccinated 97% of its eligible population, with the first dose of the vaccine. It has set a target to vaccinate 7.8 lakh people, by administering the first dose of the vaccine.
Yelandur taluk has achieved 101% target achievement, Chamarajanagar (96%), Gundlupet (95%), Kollegal (98%) and Hanur (96%), in administering the first dose of the vaccine.

The vaccination drive began in the last week of January 2021, in a phased manner, by first inoculating health department staff and frontline Covid warriors. It ran successfully for the initial few months, but had to be stopped due to a shortage of vaccines in the middle of 2021, when the second wave of the pandemic started in the district.
Though the district received enough stock of vaccines in the coming months, people hesitated to get jabbed, when Covid cases started to drop in the district. Despite such ups and downs, the district administration and health department were successful in implementing the vaccination drive launched by the government.
The district has achieved 73% of its target, by vaccinating over 5.7 lakh people with both doses of the vaccine.
Though the people were voluntarily coming in large numbers in towns, hobli headquarters and city limits, the health department officials faced a lot of challenges in a few pockets of rural areas, due to the vaccine hesitancy of residents of tribal hamlets and in villages on the fringes of forests. However, with the coordination of officials from the revenue, health, panchayat raj and police departments, the district is now inching closer to achieving 100% vaccination coverage, by convincing the people who hesitated to receive the jab, to get vaccinated, said Dr Ankappa, Chamarajanagar reproductive child health officer.

Speaking to STOI, Chamarajanagar district health officer Dr K M Visveshwaraiah said that the district health authorities have intensified the vaccination drive to cover the remaining eligible population, who were left out from receiving the first and second doses, following directions from deputy commissioner Charulatha Somal. Instructions have been given to all taluk health medical officials to ensure 100% vaccination coverage by the end of this month, with effective coordination with ASHA workers and education, panchayat raj and revenue department officials.
“As the government announced that those between 15 and 18 will be vaccinated, the district administration has made preparations by holding special camps to inoculate those in this age group. The district health authorities are strictly enforcing measures to ensure that people follow Covid-appropriate behaviour, with the help of local administration officials, amid the threat of the Omicron variant of the novel coronavirus,” he said.
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