There was an intense speculation and a bit of apprehension too over the national COVID vaccination drive launched exactly a week earlier. However, at the end of week one, the figures released by Union Health Ministry carry the assurance that India’s inoculation challenge to defeat corona has started off well and initial sluggishness has been replaced with the desired momentum. If the commencement was in itself a challenge, continuing the pace to reach the goal of covering the intended target groups will now keep the Health department(s) busy. In short, it can be said it’s a fine beginning, but since it’s going to be a marathon event, a sense of urgency must remain till the last beneficiary in the line is vaccinated. Arunachal Pradesh too must go all-out in making the ongoing Covid vaccination successful with the central aim of ensuring zero left-outs.

While the last 10 months have seen a barrage of figures on Covid cases, deaths and recoveries, from now onwards it will be mostly about vaccination data, with a global competition silently in the making as to who vaccinates how many and within what time. As per Health Ministry’s figures released on Sunday, since the day of launch nearly 16 lakh people have received the first dose out of which the 10-lakh milestone has been touched in just six days, which is a better performance if compared to the US and the UK. When it took 18 days for the UK to reach the feat, the US took 10 days and India is very much in the race now in climbing the Covid vaccination ladder. It’s an encouraging development that a certain level of flexibility has been allowed and the increase in numbers can be attributed to these adjustments. As per reports, modifications in the Co-Win database to allow walk-in vaccinations have come in handy as it has allowed the health workers who are not slotted specific dates to come and get vaccinated. For realising the principal target of covering all the intended recipients within a fixed tenure, these flexibilities will be necessary and should be rolled out whenever required. Another notable feature in the first seven-day of the exercise across the country and Arunachal has been the lead role played by senior doctors in warding off fear surrounding the vaccine by taking the doses first. These kinds of gestures are highly necessary at the moment to send the 'message of assurance' among masses. A storage hiccup that led to the destruction of around 1000 vaccines in Assam a few days ago is a reminder to the entire country that the task is delicate and even a small lapse may prove costly.

Nonetheless, it has been a praiseworthy beginning and the tempo must be kept intact. 

---

Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313

<< Back to News List