Back‘Har ghar teeka…': PM Modi asserts need for door-to-door Covid-19 vaccination at review meeting
PM Modi told district officials to ensure that the first dose is given to unvaccinated people, but also give equal attention to the second dose
PremiumThere is a need to take the Covid-19 inoculation drive door-to-door now, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a review meeting with senior officials from districts that are lagging in the vaccination coverage.
"So far, you have been working to take people to vaccination centres. Now, it's time to reach every house with the spirit of 'Har ghar teeka, ghar ghar teeka'," said Modi.
Ensure that the first dose is given to unvaccinated people, but also give equal attention to the second dose, the prime minister told the officials.
He also urged the officials to take the help of local religious leaders to spread awareness about Covid-19 vaccines and fight rumours.
Modi stressed that there is a need to adopt innovative ways to increase vaccination in districts with low coverage.
"You are facing a major challenge of rumours and misconceptions regarding the vaccines among people. The solution is to make them aware. You can take the help of local religious leaders, make short videos and circulate it among people to encourage them to get vaccinated," Modi said.
Further, the PM emphasised the need to maintain a good pace of Covid-19 vaccine administration and said that there should be no laxity in the ongoing vaccination drive.
"Progress made so far is due to your hard work. Every member of the administration, ASHA workers worked a lot, walked for miles and took vaccination to remote locations. But if we become lax after 1 Billion, a new crisis can come," he said.
"They say one must never underestimate disease and enemies. They have to be fought against till the very end. So, I would want that there should be no laxity in the ongoing vaccination drive," PM Modi added.
The districts in focus at the meeting were those with less than 50% coverage of the first dose and low coverage of the second dose of vaccine.
The 40 districts are spread across Jharkhand, Manipur, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Maharashtra and Meghalaya, among other states, according to the PM's office.
Chief ministers of the states, including Maharashtra's Uddhav Thackrey and Chhattisgarh's Bhupesh Baghel, were present at the meeting.
‘Har Ghar Dastak’ campaign
The central government on Wednesday launched the ‘Har Ghar Dastak’ mega-vaccination campaign against Covid-19. The month-long door-to-door vaccination campaign aims to inoculate the entire population in poor-performing districts.
“The entire world appreciated India's historic achievement of 100 crore vaccinations. Modi government, which has taken the resolve to provide protection to each and every person, launched 'Har Ghar Dastak' campaign today. We will take this to every house," Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya took to Twitter to say.
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