Healthcare workers will conduct door-to-door vaccinations of eligible people across India with a special focus on districts where less than 50% of the eligible population has been vaccinated, said additional secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Manohar Agnani on Friday. Dr. Agnani was speaking at a interactive webinar for the media on strengthening awareness about the month-long “Har Ghar Dastak” campaign.
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The campaign aims to ensure that all the adult population is covered with the first dose of COVID vaccine, while those who are due for the second doses are also motivated to take the second dose.
The officials said about 79% of the eligible population in India has been vaccinated with the first dose, while another 38% have been fully vaccinated. In several States, 100% of the adult population has received the first dose of the vaccine.
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“While enthusiasm for vaccines has been growing fast, the last mile coverage comes with its own set of unique challenges. There could be several reasons for some people for not taking the vaccine, including accessibility issues for people who are living in remote areas, the continuing fear of side effects and lingering vaccine hesitancy in some communities,” Dr. Agnani added.
Dr. Agnani observed that through this campaign, the country’s frontline health workers are addressing several such issues on the ground that are preventing people from taking the COVID19 vaccine. The campaign also envisages close collaboration with local religious and community leaders and other agencies and organisations such Central Statistics Office (CSO), non-government organisations, NSS, etc to motivate people who have not taken their vaccine.
