Prayagraj: Vaccine hesitancy fades, jab centres in district record 80% vaccination

PRAYAGRAJ: Ever since the vaccination drive for the 18-44 age group has started, officials of the health department are flooded with queries about vaccination centres and the availability of slots on the CoWIN portal.
As the slots for this week opened for booking at 10am on Sunday, healthcare providers in both rural and urban areas have been receiving phone calls from beneficiaries asking about suitable vaccination sites.
Officials said youngsters quite enthusiastic and earnest about getting vaccinated and afre showing no vaccine hesitancy, they are rather encouraging others also for getting inoculated. The number of vaccinated recipients in the district is likely to cross the 5,00,000-mark on Monday.
The health department data revealed that 14 vaccination sites in urban area 21 in rural registered over 80% vaccination. The number of recipients who got the first dose of vaccine was much higher than those who received the second dose.
On Saturday, a total of 7,987 recipients were vaccinated. Of these, 7,878 were adminstered the first dose and just 109 got their second and are fully vaccinated now.
With the decline in number of Covid cases and rising recovery rate, beneficiaries of all age groups are getting registered on the CoWIN portal for vaccination. The status of booking for slots also revealed that the hesitancy for vaccination has drastically reduced in both urban and rural areas. After a large number of casulaties in the second wave, most people have realised that vaccination is the best protection against the deadly disease. Most vaccine recipients are sharing their photos and experience on social media after receiving the jab and are encouraging others in turn.
Meanwhile, the district health authorities are sharing updated information about vaccination with residents of the district through social media, thereby intensifying the vaccination drive.
More and more beneficiaries from trans-Ganga and trans-Yamuna pockets are now getting themselves registered through the common service centres in 23 rural blocks of Prayagraj district.
As many as 4,94,081 Covid vaccine shots have been administered to beneficiaries of all age groups in the district till May 22. While 3,90,432 beneficiaries have taken the first dose of vaccine, a total of 1,04,058 recipients have received the second dose as well.
Besides, beneficiaries above 45 years are also being vaccinated at vaccination centres in rural as well as urban areas.
Additional chief medical officer and district immunisation officer (DIO) Dr Teerath Lal told TOI, “Health teams are interacting with people in villages and are encouraging them for getting vaccinated at the 21 community health centres in the district, so that maximum number of beneficiaries can be covered in trans-Ganga and trans-Yamuna pockets.”