As the mega vaccination drive against COVID-19 covered nearly 66-67% of the district’s eligible population so far, the administration has drawn up a plan to accelerate the drive to inoculate the remaining 2.60 lakh population by this month-end.

The official machinery ramped up the vaccination drive to prevent the spread of coronavirus during the long festive season (October-December) which got under way with hordes of shoppers flocking to markets and business centres in Kothagudem, Palvancha, Manuguru and other major towns in the district.

To achieve 100% vaccination in the district, around 30,000 vaccine doses need to be administered daily within the tentative time frame, sources said.

A little over 5.07 lakh persons of the district’s eligible population of 7.67 lakh people had taken the first dose till Monday. Around 1.49 lakh persons have received the second dose, sources added.

Field-level functionaries and health workers are facing a tough task to ensure cent per cent inoculation in remote tribal pockets, mostly in temporary tribal settlements, in Bhadrachalam Agency and elsewhere in the district, sources added. The field health workers, including Accredited Social Health Activists and ANMs, are putting in extra efforts to get tribal people in far-flung habitations vaccinated by addressing vaccine hesitancy and highlighting the efficacy and safety of the vaccine.

In Khammam district, 188 gram panchayats have achieved 100% vaccination coverage, sources said. Over 31,000 vaccine doses were administered in the district in past 48 hours as part of the stepped-up drive.

District Immunisation Officer, Bhadradri-Kothagudem, Nagendra Prasad told The Hindu that dozens of teams of health workers and other field-level functionaries are working relentlessly in the tribal heartland to ensure total vaccination of the entire eligible population.

Frontline health workers are creating awareness on COVID-appropriate behaviour and safety norms. Migrant Adivasis in remote tribal habitations without prescribed ID cards are also being vaccinated, he said.