TUTICORIN: “Hi! Has everyone taken the (Covid-19) vaccine? My father has taken the jab and that is why I am confident.
Only if elders like you take the vaccine, we (children) can be safe,” says 11-year-old Punitha from Tuticorin as she wears a mask to conclude the awareness video that lasts just 22 seconds.
This is one of the 25 short yet high-impact Covid-19 awareness videos that the Tuticorin district administration has planned to release this week.
The administration has teamed up with local social media influencers and volunteers for the cost-free project.
A team comprising a handful of officials headed by district collector Dr K Senthil Raj and assistant collector Srutanjay Narayanan discussed the themes for the videos spanning about 20 to 30 seconds each and finalised the script along with the influencers and volunteers who shoot the videos.
“Covid-19 cases are coming down.
But only vaccination and caution can prevent further spread.
The video of Punitha is aimed at helping the rural populace overcome inhibitions in taking the vaccine.
Since vaccines are not administered for children, the only way to protect them is by ensuring that elders take the jab,” Senthil Raj told TOI.
Focus is on local influencers and they convey the message in the local dialect better than celebrities, officials said.
Around 10 videos are ready and the rest will be formally launched next week.