Tardy vaccination jeopardising herd immunity goal
Public ignorance, lack of awareness activities, limitation in daily target main causes for low turnout
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, June 03 2021: Though vaccination is stated to be the only long-term solution to the ongoing crisis of Covid-19 pandemic, slow progress of vaccination exercise in the state is jeopardising the ambition of attaining herd immunity as it would take at least two years, at the present pace, to vaccinate 60 per cent of the population of the state.

On the other hand, ignorance among the public, hesitancy in getting the vaccine, lack of awareness activities and limitation in daily target are becoming hurdles in speeding up the pace of vaccination.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the nation-wide mass vaccination drive as Tikka Utsav on January 16 this year and chief minister N Biren also launched the drive in the state on the same day at JNIMS.

As per guidelines of World Health Organisation (WHO), vaccination of at least 60 per cent of the total population of a state or nation or region is a must to attain herd immunity in order to break the transmission chain effectively and contain the spread of the virus.

Keeping this in mind, the government is giving extra attention in vaccination of the people However, the state has been able to administer only 4,81,687 doses from January 16 to June 2.These include 4,01,133 first dose and 80,554 second dose.

In short, 4,01,133 people have been given Covid-19 vaccine with 80,554 jabbed for the second time.

In this pace, attaining herd immunity will be a distant dream as it would take at least two years to vaccinate 60 per cent of the population and by then the virus might have taken several mutations unless the government speed up the vaccination pace manifold.

As of Wednesday, 37,502 vaccine doses have been administered in Bishnupur district; 15,852 doses in Chandel; 39,545 in Churachandpur, 1,02,242 in Imphal East; 1,32,110 in Imphal West; 8,688 in Jiribam; 25,973 in Kakching; 4,609 in Kamjong; 12,820 in Kangpokpi; 7,645 in Noney; 5,608 in Pherzawl; 10,055 in Senapati; 8,879 in Tamenglong; 10,793 in Tengnoupal; 46,539 in Thoubal; and 12,827 doses in Ukhrul.

Number of individuals, who have received their second dose of vaccine in each of the districts are Bishnupur (4581), Chandel (4332), Churachandpur (6685), Imphal East (14,766), Imphal West (23,434), Jiribam (1970), Kakching (2504), Kamjong (973), Kangpokpi (2235), Noney (2074), Pherzawl (1009), Senapati (2633), Tamenglong (1917), Tengnoupal (2852), Thoubal (5758) and Ukhrul (2831) .

Vaccination pace is fastest in Imphal West district and lowest in Kamjong district.

Incidentally, Imphal West is also the worst affected district in the state with 36 per cent of the state's total cases.

Kamjong is the second least affected district with only 403 total cases.

Pherzawl, which has reported 77 cases so far, outperforms Kamjong in the vaccination front by 999 doses.

On June 2, the health department planned 106 sessions for vaccination across the state but one session was cancelled.

In the 105 sessions, 7752 doses were administered which include 7637 first doses and 115 second doses.

Some health experts whom The People's Chronicle had talked suggested aggressive awareness activities from the side of the government in order to encourage the eligible population to come out and get their vaccines.

Turnout is comparatively high in valley areas but it is still low in hill areas, especially in the interior parts of the state.

Despite the explanation by experts and awareness created through mass media, there are still thousands of people who are reluctant to get the shot.

"There is no surety that they will not get the virus after getting the vaccine" is the idea that prevents many of the public to come out for vaccination.

Though the misconception is vanishing gradually, there is still need for creating more awareness among the public.

On the other hand, there is also a disturbing viral message of people possibly dying after a few months or years of getting the vaccine shots.

Not many believe in this rumour but there are still some sections of the public who hesitate to get the vaccine upon hearing these types of rumours.

Meanwhile, the government had officially lifted the limitation on daily target of beneficiaries to be covered for vaccination.

But the limitation still exists in many of the vaccination sites due to various reasons including lack of manpower.

Besides, declaring vaccination sites on daily basis creates confusion among the public as they are not sure if they will get vaccine by visiting any of the vaccination site on any day.

Engaging additional manpower and organising mass vaccination drives in different localities in an aggressive manner, lifting the daily target limitation from all vaccination sites, penetrative awareness activities to encourage the hesitant public to get the vaccines in order to increase the vaccination pace are the needs of the hour to contain the contagion, many suggested.

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