Prayagraj: In an attempt to cover maximum number of recipients in trans-Ganga and trans-Yamuna pockets, officials of the health department have taken up “Near Home Vaccination” campaign in six blocks of the district from June 21 to 26.
The campaign is a part of a cluster project, and a total of 92 vaccination teams were roped in to administer the Covid vaccine dose to over 9,000 recipients of all age groups per day.
The six blocks where the Near Home Vaccination campaign is being carried out include Kaurihar, Holagarh and Soraon in trans-Ganga, and Chaka, Kutwa and Jasra in trans-Yamuna.
As many as 90 villages will be covered under this campaign which will be conducted at primary schools and gram sabha/panchayat bhawans.
These special measures are being taken to ramp up vaccination drive in rural areas after witnessing a low turnout of recipients at rural vaccination centres (CHCs and PHCs).
Additional chief medical officer and nodal officer (National Health Mission), Dr Satyendra Rai told TOI, “The six-day special drive, Near Home Vaccination, was launched to cover rural beneficiaries and medical teams are administering vaccine shots to the recipients at primary schools, gram sabha bhawans and aganwadi centres.” He further added, “We have set a target to cover 9,000 beneficiaries per day.
Mobilization teams are visiting every house in the selected 92 villages, apprising them about the vaccination sites and other details, and convincing them to get vaccinated.” Moreover, senior health officials are monitoring the Near Home Vaccination campaign.
Chief medical officer (Prayagraj) Dr Prabhakar Rai has inspected Kaurihar and Holagarh community health centres asking health officials concerned to speed up vaccination and engage more and more mobilization teams to cover maximum rural recipients.
The health department will launch the ‘cluster plan’ in all 23 blocks of the district from July 1, and 10-12 medical teams will cover a cluster of villages in rural areas and slums in urban areas, administering vaccines to the recipients.
To make the cluster plan a mega success, the health department has already roped in mobilization teams, including ANM/ASHA workers, pradhans, anganwadi workers and teachers who will promote the vaccination drive in the villages concerned.
The ACMO said all 23 blocks and slums had been divided into clusters, and cluster vaccination groups would be asked to cover the assigned cluster within stipulated time.
The department aims to cover all clusters in July itself.
Till June 21, as many as 7,49,592 shots were administered to recipients of all age groups in the district.
While 6,21,296 beneficiaries have taken the first dose of vaccine, a total of 1,28,296 recipients have also received the second dose.
In the last 24 hours, a total of 12,569 vaccine shots were administered to recipients of all age groups, which included 12,229 recipients of the first dose and 340 of the second dose.