STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: The enhanced COVID-19 vaccination drive in the State is a success with the achievement exceeding 100 percent of its daily target on the very first day – Monday.
The massive vaccination drive that began on Monday has a daily target of three lakh inoculation, and it will continue till June 30. As many as 3.30 lakh beneficiaries were inoculated on Monday.
Speaking on achieving the daily target of vaccination, Health Minister Keshab Mahanta said, "Assam has vaccinated more than three lakh people today. I would like to congratulate Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma for their visionary leadership."
While seven districts could achieve more than 100 per cent of their respective targets, four districts achieved less than 50 per cent of their targets on Monday.
To make the vaccination drive a success, the guardian ministers were on their toes visiting the areas of the districts under them to motivate the people for the vaccination. The people also responded to the drive positively.
The Tinsukia district vaccinated 17,372 people against the set target of 10,000. It was followed by the Dibrugarh district with the inoculation of 22,287 people against the target of 15,000;
the Cachar district with the inoculation of 20,910 people against the target of 15,000; the Sonitpur district with the vaccination of 18,197 people against the target of 15,000; the Darrang district with the vaccination of 9,409 people against the target of 7,000 and the Nalbari district with the inoculation of 8,707 people against the target of 7,000.
On the other hand, only 1,059 people were vaccinated against the target of 3,000 in the West Karbi Anglong district; 2,681 people were vaccinated against the target of 5,000 in the Karbi Anglong district; 2,745 people were vaccinated against the target of 3,000 in the Dima Hasao district and 6,339 people were vaccinated against the target of 10,000 in the Karimganj district.
Sources in the Health Department attributed the success on the first day of the enhanced vaccination drive to the massive awareness campaign and the setting up of vaccination centres in the doorsteps of the people.
Announcing the enhanced vaccination drive recently, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma went on record saying that achieving 2.60 lakh of the 3 lakh daily vaccination target would be considered a success.