Lucky draw, badges among Centre's strategies to improve Covid vaccine coverage

Weekly or monthly lucky draw programmes for those fully vaccinated against Covid-19 are among the strategies planned by the government to encourage people yet to take the first dose and those overdue for the second jab to get inoculated, sources said on Sunday.

The Union Health Ministry has planned other initiatives also such as organising workplace vaccination and providing badges to fully vaccinated employees. States and Union Territories may soon be suggested to undertake these initiatives.

The strategies also include involving influential figures in districts or villages, who themselves are vaccinated, to motivate their peer groups in getting the Covid shots.

Such people may be appointed as 'ambassadors' and oriented about the government's 'Har Ghar Dastak' initiative. They can, in turn, provide sound advice to people on the importance of taking both the doses of vaccine and completing the vaccination schedule.

Also Read | Over 116 crore Covid-19 vaccine doses administered so far in India

The government has launched the month-long 'Har Ghar Dastak' campaign for house-to-house Covid-19 vaccination of those who are yet to take a dose and those whose second jab is overdue.

"Workplace vaccination can be organised targeting people who are due for their doses. Employees, both at private and government offices and other workplaces, may be given badges having vaccination messages such as 'I am fully vaccinated, are you fully vaccinated too' to encourage their colleagues to get the doses," a source said.

"Also, weekly or monthly lucky draw programmes may be organised for the fully vaccinated. Household items like kitchen appliances, ration kit, travel passes, cash prizes can be given to the winners of the lucky draw to motivate the fence-sitters to go for vaccination."

Ideas or initiatives at the local level may further help in motivating people and mobilising the left-out or dropped-out beneficiaries and help in ensuring that all adults are protected against Covid infection, the source said.

According to officials, around 82 per cent of the eligible population in India have received the first dose of the vaccine while around 43 per cent have been fully inoculated. Over 12 crore beneficiaries are overdue for their second dose of Covid-19 vaccine after the expiry of the prescribed interval between the two doses.

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