MANGALURU: In a bid to increase vaccination coverage, Dakshina Kannada district’s health department together with Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) will begin a door-to-door vaccination drive beginning in Mangaluru from Monday.
“We plan to cover the entire eligible population in the district through a door-to-door drive and we will begin with Mangaluru city in the first phase,” said Dr Kishore Kumar M, district health officer.
He said the government had sent out a circular directing health staff to go door-to-door and administer doses to eligible beneficiaries. “We have held discussions with MCC officials who have agreed to join hands with the health department,” he said.
The DHO claimed many people living in apartments were yet to take the vaccine. He said teams comprising health staff, anganwadi and ASHA workers and multipurpose workers of MCC will conduct the door-todoor surveys.
“The second dose of the vaccine will also be given if a person has completed the prescribed interval,” he said, while admitting that the last 10% of the population will be the most difficult to cover. “At least 2-3% of the target population may be ineligible due to health reasons and some will be hesitant,” he said. “We must reach at least 95% of the target by December which is why we have planned the door-to-door vaccination drive. We have sufficient stocks of doses in the district.”
