New Delhi: Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya today urged the States/UTs to motivate and mobilise all eligible population towards full COVID Vaccination.
The Minister chaired a review meeting on status of COVID 19 vaccination and the progress under the Har GharDastak campaign with Health Secretaries and senior officials of the Health Department from Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland and Puducherry, an official release said.
These States/UT have been reporting low vaccination coverage.
While India’s first dose coverage is at 82% and second dose coverage at 43%, Puducherry (66%, 39%), Nagaland (49%, 36%), Meghalaya (57%, 38%) and Manipur (54%, 36%) lag from national average in their first and second dose coverage, it said.
Interacting with officials, the Minister said “We are in the last lap of COVID19 Vaccination. Let us launch aggressive campaign to ensure full COVID-19 vaccination by increasing the pace of vaccination and expanding the coverage.”
Reiterating that vaccination is the most potent weapon in the fight against COVID19 pandemic, the Minister urged the States/UT to innovatively rope in all stakeholders including NGOs, faith-based organisations, religious leaders, community influencers and other partners to motivate and mobilise all eligible population towards full COVID Vaccination.
“Let us ensure collectively that no eligible citizen is left without the ‘Suraksha Kawachh’ of COVID19 vaccine in the country, and to address issues of hesitancy, misinformation, superstition etc.”
Dr Mansukh Mandaviya urged the States to deploy all State Govt officials, one day each week, to visit each eligible household to motivate and mobilise them towards full 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 COVID19 Vaccination Ambassadors to urge and motivate the elders and eligible members in their families and communities to take both doses of COVID19 vaccine, he added.
He exhorted the States to prepare detailed district-wise micro plans, deploy the adequate number of teams and regularly review the daily progress of the low performing districts.
The States were also urged to make innovative short videos to address target groups for hesitancy, along with effective use of various social media platforms and traditional media.
The Union Health Minister engaged with the States/UT to know the specific reasons holding back the wide scaling up of vaccination drive under the ongoing ‘Har GharDastak’ campaign.
He was apprised of the ongoing efforts by the State/UT administration to address issues of hesitancy.
“Rajesh Bhushan, Union Health Secretary, Dr Manohar Agnani, Additional Secretary (Health), Dr Sunil Kumar, Director General of Health Services, Indrani Kaushal, Joint Secretary (Health), Ashok Babu, Joint Secretary (Health) and other senior officials of the Ministry were present in the meeting,” the release said.
