PRAYAGRAJ: The fairer sex seems to be left behind in Covid-19 vaccination in sangam city.
Data of the health department revealed that for every 100 recipients vaccinated in the city so far, only 42 women have received the shot.
This gender slant could have been attributed to many reasons including women’s lack of intervention, inability in many cases to book a slot on a portal on their own and lack of independent mobility particularly in rural areas.
The fact is that the ‘Pink booth’, set up by the health authorities to administer Covid-19 vaccine to women only in posh city area, has too failed to yield the desired results despite the fact that on spot registration facility has been offered.
The women population in Prayagraj district stands at around 49 percent of total 39.87 recipients to be vaccinated.
However, low turn up of women recipients have left the officials of the health department worried who have now taken up a series of corrective measures to promote vaccination among fairer sex in the district.
As many as 6,55,381 Covid vaccine shots were administered to recipients of all age groups, that is, those aged above 18 years, in the district till June 10.
While 5,33,263 beneficiaries have taken the first dose of vaccine, a total of 1,22,116 recipients have also received the second dose.
Officials said the vaccination exercise is currently going on at 69 sites across the district including two pink vaccination sites and six abhibhavak special vaccination sites.
Additional chief medical officer and district immunization officer (DIO) Dr Teerath Lal admitted to TOI, “ Unquestionably, the percentage of women who got vaccinated was quite low compared to their male counterparts”.
He added that there has been a 60:40 ratio (60 men: 40 women) at vaccination sites and men are showing more interest compared to their women counterparts to get vaccinated.
Interestingly, women aged between 18 and 44 years were more enthusiastic to get vaccinated in city areas compared to rural pockets and the graph of women above 45 years of age was also more in city areas who travelled at vaccination sites to get first and second dose.
In contrast, women in rural pockets particularly aged above 45 years lack interest in vaccination and health workers have to run from pillar to post to take them to vaccination sites.
He further added On an average, we are covering 8,000-10,000 beneficiaries of all age groups in a single day, and efforts are under way to cover more crowd.
A total of 8,469 vaccine shots were administered to recipients of all age groups in the past 24 hours, which included 7,915 recipients of the first dose and 554 of the second dose, said the ACMO, adding, more and more people are getting themselves registered on the health department portal for vaccination.