Get jabbed before festive season: Dr Shyamjai
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, September 29 2021: National Health Mission (NHM), Manipur State Mission director Dr N Shyamjai has appealed to people who are yet to get first dose of COVID-19 vaccine to get the vaccine immediately before the festive season arrives.

Giving his observation on COVID-19 vaccination in the state during the launch ceremony of National Deworming Day programme on Wednesday, Dr N Shyamjai pointed out that only 63.4 percent of state's targeted population have received first dose of COVID-19 vaccine till date and remarked that cent percent vaccination of first dose is very much necessary before the festive season arrives.

To enhance Covid-19 vaccination coverage in rural pockets of Manipur, the State Health Society-National Health Mission (NHM) is set to implement Project 'Swaraksha' within this week, said the director while confiding that the vaccination rate in rural pockets of Manipur, especially hilly areas, is comparative low and the project will enhance the coverage.

The State Health Society has already initiated a capacity building measure wherein they have roped in nearly 40 volunteers to mobilised people and refer for vaccination.

Dr Shyamjai said under the Project Swaraksha, any local volunteer who makes a referral to vaccinate any un-vaccinated individual will be paid Rs 50 for each person referred for vaccination.

The project is funded by Crypto Relief and is implemented in partnership with USAID-Nishtha, Jhpieggo with Digital support from Anaxee.

In the North East, Manipur is the second state to implement Project Swaraksha after Meghalaya.

It is a countrywide campaign aimed to solve 'Vaccine Hesitancy' in rural India.

COVID-19 vaccination in the state commenced from January 15 this year and 12,21,557 people have been vaccinated with the first dose as of September 29 registering coverage of 63.4 percent of the targeted population while 4,68,360 people have received both doses registering only 24.7 percent of the targeted population.

The state has so far utilised 16,89,917 doses of vaccine, he said and stressed the need for achieving the target of cent percent vaccination as many small states have already achieved this target.

According to Dr Shyamjai, vaccination rates in Imphal West and Imphal East districts have reached 75 percent but vaccination rate in hill districts remain very low.

Since the virus hit the state in early part of 2000, many variants of the virus have been detected and amongst them Delta variant is 40-60 percent more dangerous than the earlier ones.

As such vaccination will be safest option to protect everyone from the virus.

Despite knowing this, many people in the state are yet to get the ftrst dose, he said and appealed to them to get first dose of the vaccine immediately to avoid life threatening situation.

Dr Shyamjai further appealed to teachers, school van drivers and non-teaching staff to get inoculated while maintaining that reopening of schools and colleges could be possible when vaccination rate reaches 70/80 percent or else situation in the state may get worsen.

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