The COVID-19 vaccination programme continued at a slower pace in south coastal Andhra Pradesh on Thursday.
The selected frontline workers are said to be reluctant to take the jab as the single-day count is declining while the recovery rate is going up.
A little over 50% of the health workers have been administered with the vaccine since January 16, when the drive began and the rest are said to be not coming forward for the inoculation.
“Going by the present trend, we may find it hard to meet the vaccination target. We are using all skills to convince the selected beneficiaries to take the vaccine. The process of the local body elections being set in motion from Friday and the three-day Pulse Polio programme beginning on January 31 are also likely to hamper the vaccination drive,” said health officials. Only 995 health professionals took the jab in Nellore and Prakasam districts on Thursday, according to reports received by the health authorities in Nellore and Ongole till late in the evening. About 29,000 of the targeted 53,000 health workers in the first phase have been inoculated so far during the vaccination drive being taken up in the two districts since January 16, the health officials said.
‘Adverse effect’
A health worker from Kandukur, who was suffering from a chronic illness experienced some ‘adverse effects’ after he was administered with the vaccine, said Prakasam District Medical and Health officer P. Ratnavalli. “Most of the beneficiaries working at the PHCs and government hospitals have been inoculated. Now, we will focus on the health workers in the private sector and complete the drive in the next seven to 10 days,” she said, adding that 2,000 anganwadi workers were among the 13,000 beneficiaries who have taken the jab. “The response is not encouraging from health workers from some private hospitals,” said Nellore DMHO S. Rajyalakshmi, adding none would be forced to take the vaccine.
A group of Anganwadi workers and helpers in Ongole expressed reluctance over taking the jab. “The authorities should not compel those who are not ready to take the jab,” said Anganwadi Workers and Helpers Union Prakasam general secretary E. Annapurna.
