Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur and Puducherry have been reporting low Covid vaccination coverage among all states and union territories in the country.
While India’s first dose coverage is at 82 per cent and second dose coverage at 43 per cent, the coverage of first dose in Meghalaya is just 57 per cent while coverage of the second dose was only 38 per cent.
The coverage of the first dose in Nagaland is 49 per cent and second dose only 36 per cent.
The coverage of the first dose in Manipur is 54 per cent and second dose at 36 per cent. Similarly, in Puducherry the coverage of the first dose was 66 per cent and the second dose was 39 per cent.
Meghalaya with a target population over 20 lakh has 8 lakh people waiting to be given first dose and due beneficiaries for the second dose are over 2.5 lakh.
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 lakhs.
Nagaland with a target population of 14.7 lakhs has over 7.5 lakh first doses to be achieved and 1.2 lakh beneficiaries due for second doses.
Puducherry with a target population of 11.3 lakhs has 3.88 lakh people yet to get the first dose and 1.91 lakh eligible but yet to receive the second dose.
These data were revealed at the review meeting held virtually today between Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya with Health Secretaries and senior officials of the Health Department from Meghalaya, Manipur, Nagaland and Puducherry to review the status of Covid-19 vaccination in these states and the progress under the ‘Har Ghar Dastak’ campaign.
Mandaviya urged these states to deploy all government officials, one day in a week, to visit every eligible house with the message of full vaccination.
The Union Health Minister also urged these states to innovatively rope in all stakeholders including NGOs, faith-based organisations, religious leaders, community influencers and other partners to motivate and mobilise all eligible populations towards full Covid vaccination.
The states were urged to make innovative short videos to address target groups for hesitancy, along with effective use of various social media platforms and traditional media.
“Let us ensure collectively that no eligible citizen is left without the protection of Covid-19 vaccine in the country, and to address issues of hesitancy, misinformation, superstition etc,” he said.
“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 added.
Mandaviya also said that these 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 vaccine.
He exhorted the states to prepare detailed district-wise micro plans, deploy adequate numbers of teams and to regularly review the daily progress of the low performing districts.
