Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Monday urged the Governments of Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland and Puducherry—reporting low vaccination status— to deploy its officials, one day each week, to visit each eligible household to motivate and mobilise them towards full vaccination.
“These States/UT have been reporting low vaccination coverage. While India's first dose coverage is at 82 per cent and second dose coverage at 43 per cent, Puducherry (66 per cent, 39 per cent), Nagaland (49 per cent, 36 per cent), Meghalaya (57 per cent, 38 per cent) and Manipur (54 per cent, 36 per cent) lag behind from national average in their first and second dose coverage,” pointed out an official from the Ministry.
Reiterating that vaccination is the most potent weapon in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic, Mandaviya urged the states and the union territory to innovatively rope in all stakeholders, including NGOs, faith-based organisations, religious leaders, community influencers and other partners, to motivate and mobilize all eligible population towards full Covid vaccination.
"We are in the last lap of COVID-19 vaccination. Let us launch an 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 these States and UT during a meeting where he reviewed the status of Covid vaccination.
He reiterated Prime Minister’s mop-up strategies for strengthening the ‘Har GharDastak’ campaign including deploying ‘PracharToli’ 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.
“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 stated. States can also make children and students as Covid-19 Vaccination Ambassadors to urge and motivate the elders and eligible members in their families and communities to take both doses of Covid-19 vaccine, he added.