PATNA: Bihar stands at the sixth position among all the states administering the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccines to beneficiaries in the age group of 18 to 44 years.
It also stands at the eighth position among the 28 states and eight union territories in the country in terms of inoculating people in all the categories.
According to the data available with the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, altogether 45.96 lakh people in the age group of 18 to 44 years have been administered the first dose of vaccines in Bihar.
The four states, which are ahead of Bihar, include Uttar Pradesh (71.62 lakh), Madhya Pradesh (69.69 lakh), Rajasthan (56.49 lakh), Gujarat (59.99 lakh), and Karnataka (49.83 lakh).
In terms of overall inoculation, 1.46 crore people have received their first and second doses in Bihar.
Maharashtra (2.86 crore), Uttar Pradesh (2.71 crore), Gujarat (2.30 crore), Rajasthan (2.20 crore), Karnataka (2 crore), West Bengal (1.96 crore), and Madhya Pradesh (1.67 crore) are ahead of Bihar in this category.
With the second wave of Covid-19 wreaking havoc on the state, a large number of people are stepping out of their houses to get themselves inoculated.
The state government has also set a target of vaccinating 6 crore people in the next six months.
“The vaccine is very effective and decreases the fatality rate.
Hence, we are motivating people to get themselves inoculated,” Patna civil surgeon Vibha Kumari told this newspaper on Thursday, adding that camps were also being organised at the panchayat level.
Asked about the shortage of vaccines, Dr Vibha replied, “There is absolutely no shortage of vaccines in Patna.
On the contrary, we will begin a mega vaccination camp in the district from Friday and try to inoculate 86,000 people in a day.” Apart from the government, efforts are being made by several international agencies like the United Nations (UN) to motivate people to get vaccine shots.
The UN’s ‘Verified’ campaign, for instance, aims at delivering trusted information, life-saving advice and countering misinformation.
In Bihar alone, over 400 youngsters and 10,000 teachers, professors, doctors and other experts have been roped in to spread information regarding the vaccination drive and bust all related myths.
Juhi Kalam, a vaccine volunteer at Forbesganj in Araria, pointed out, “Many people do not let volunteers like us talk to women in their families.
Thus, gender-specific campaigns, communication materials, verified information, access to healthcare providers and teleconsultation play a pivotal role.” Common people, who may or may not have lost their loved ones during the pandemic, are also rooting for the Covid vaccines.
A resident of Danapur Cantonment, Anjana Singh, said, “I received both my doses without any problem.
Although I was sceptical at first, crowd management at the vaccination centre was excellent.” Echoing similar views, Harsh Sahay, a collegian, claimed, “The site was not crowded and the vaccination process was swift.
It took me only 20 minutes to get my first shot.”