NOIDA/GHAZIABAD: The last round of vaccinations for
frontline workers (FLWs) in Noida and Ghaziabad was organised on Thursday. The workers were given several incentives, including a day off for getting the
jabs and the flexibility to get the shot wherever they were posted. Yet, none of these measures could increase the turnout in both the cities.
As many as 7,666 frontline workers in Noida were registered for Thursday’s vaccination drive. Only 32.2% of them (2,470) took the shot. These included officials from police, administration and paramilitary forces as well as
sanitation workers. Noida had set up 62 session sites in 27 centres.
Of the 18,760 registered FLWs in the district, around 8,000 (47%) have been vaccinated so far.
In Ghaziabad, 2,772 out of 7,168 registered frontline workers were vaccinated, recording a 38.67%
vaccination coverage. Notably, a mop-round for this category of recipients will be held on February 22.
According to officials, in the four rounds of the vaccination drive for FLWs, 6,910 recipients had taken the jab against the total of 16,428 FLWs in Ghaziabad. The percentage of vaccination coverage steadily decreased over the four rounds — 55% on February 5, 44% on February 11 and 39.4% on February 12.
The special measures announced by the state government ahead of the round, including calls to recipients by nodal officers and monitoring by district authorities, failed to make any difference.
On Thursday, employees of the municipal corporation, GDA, municipalities, police and administration were selected for vaccination. Nearly 20% of recipients had turned up at the district’s 67 session sites. Subsequently, when calls were made to the remaining FLWs, they said they were in their respective offices and would come later in the afternoon.
The list of frontline workers also included names of senior officers of various departments, but no senior officer has taken the shot in Ghaziabad so far.
Meanwhile, in Noida, all senior district officials, including the DM Suhas LY, commissioner of police Alok Singh and
GNIDA CEO and nodal officer of the district for Covid response Narendra Bhooshan, got vaccinated on Thursday.
“People need to get vaccinated for the benefit of society. People must avoid unnecessary apprehensions and believe in science over rumours. All senior officials, including me, are feeling completely fine after the vaccine,” said Suhas LY, district magistrate.
The senior officials have asked others in their department to get the shot. All senior officials along with others from the district administration were vaccinated at Government Institute of Medical Sciences (GIMS) in Kasna, Greater Noida.