Punjab: Vaccination ‘awareness vans’ to boost drive in low-performing districts

Soni said that so far 1.66 crores (80.46 per cent of the state’s population) persons have received their first dose and 79 lakh have been administered both the doses.

The awareness vans are part of the state’s Har Ghar Dastak initiative that was launched in the first week of November.

Under this campaign, 3,12,570 and 4,12,912 beneficiaries have been vaccinated with the first and second dose, respectively.

Meanwhile, Block Extension Educators of the Health Department’s Mass Education and Media Wing will be deputed to carry out this awareness drive in the rural areas of Punjab. These awareness vans will move from village to village for the next one month. Subsequently, other districts will also be covered across the state. The minister said that the health department’s target is to achieve 100 per cent first dose and pending second dose coverage by the end of December 2021.

Hundred per cent of vaccination coverage has been achieved in 4,788 villages for “first dose” and 1,145 villages for the “second dose”, respectively, the government said.