The Virudhunagar district administration began a special COVID-19 vaccination drive for vulnerable people such as persons with disabilities and transgender people, on Thursday.
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Based on instructions from Virudhunagar Collector, J. Meghanath Reddy, the health department organised a special camp for transgender people in Virudhunagar where more than 50 transgender people took part in the morning.
“The district has over 240 transgender people and we had made arrangements for vaccinating 100 transgender people today here,” said Deputy Director (Health), Virudhunagar, A. Palanisamy. Another camp will be organised in the coming days in Rajapalayam.
Similarly, vaccination at the doorstep for persons with disabilities too started on Thursday. “We have got the data of around 15,000 persons with disabilities from the District Differently-abled Welfare Office,” the Deputy Director said.
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Village health nurses along with village administrative officers would visit three to four villages in every block and administer the vaccine to at least 50 persons each day. The number of persons with disabilities would be higher in urban areas, he added. The doorstep vaccination will also be done for patients with leprosy.
Stating that transgender people and patients with leprosy, who were vulnerable groups may not come forward to the regular vaccination camp, due to social stigma, the Collector has ordered priority be given to such groups. Similarly, persons with disabilities would possibly not be able visit the camps due to mobility limitations, he said.