New Delhi: Though India began its inoculation drive as early as January, only a handful of cities, districts and Union Territories have reported 100 per cent coverage with the first dose.
India has so far administered 55,47,30,609 doses of the Covid-19 vaccine, with 32.4 per cent of the population having received the first dose, and 9.1 per cent having been fully vaccinated.
These are the areas that claim to have administered the first dose to all those eligible:
Bhubaneswar
Odisha’s capital city, Bhubaneswar claimed to be the country’s first city to achieve 100 per cent vaccination on 1 August, a day after its target of 31 July.
“The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation set a goal of immunising cent per cent of its population by July 31. During this time, we have administered the second jab to a total of 9,07,000 people above 18 years of age, which includes around 31,000 health workers, 33,000 frontline workers, 5,17,000 people between 18-45 and 3,20,000 above 45. As per reports, around 18,35,000 doses of Covid vaccine have been given till July 30,” Anshuman Rath, South-east Zonal Deputy Commissioner of Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation told India Today.
Wayanad
The Wayanad district of Kerala has just completed vaccinating its population with the first dose. According to a 2018 state report, Wayanad has a population of 8.47 lakh. It completed vaccinating all eligible beneficiaries by 16 August.
According to a report in the Times of India, “of the total eligible population of 6,11,430, as many as 6,15,729 have received the first dose, and 2,13,277 received the second dose.”
State Health Minister Veena George told the press Monday, “The government had formed 28 mobile teams to visit the remote Tribal hamlets. The teams also visited the houses of 636 bedridden patients and administered vaccines.”
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Daman and Diu
The districts of Daman and Diu in the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu also announced 100 per cent vaccination of their eligible populations as early as 3 July.
According to a report by the Indian Express, the districts, which set out to administer 1,99,340 doses, managed to vaccinate 2,07,390 people with the first dose. Migrant workers were also covered, leading to the districts overshooting their original target.
“The administration has planned vaccination drives in villages, municipal wards, societies and hamlets to ensure vaccination for all. There are 72 vaccination sites in Dadar and Nagar Haveli, seven in Daman, and four in Diu. The administration has also announced an award of Rs 5,00,000 to the village that achieves 100 per cent vaccination for the population of above 18 years,” Health Director V.K. Das told the Express.
Ladakh
On 7 July, Ladakh announced it had administered the first dose to 100 per cent of its eligible population, urging those who hadn’t yet received the vaccine to come forward. The district has a population of 2.8, according to Aadhaar data.
The union territory didn’t, however, publish the number of doses administered. Reports say 89,404 people were given the first dose, and 60,936 were given the second dose.
(Edited by Paramita Ghosh)
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