LUCKNOW: With over 27,500 people taking the jab against Covid-19 on Thursday, Lucknow crossed the milestone of administering 50 lakh doses, highest in comparison to other districts of the state.
The feat was accomplished in 10 months since the roll out of the mass immunisation campaign on January 16 to vaccinate the entire 37.4
lakh population aged 18 years and above. However, a close look at the data also reveals a significant gap between rural and urban populations covered during the drive.
On Wednesday, 15,983 people took their second shot, thus completing the two-dose course and taking the number of fully vaccinated beneficiaries to 17.6 lakh, which is 47% of the total adult population. Similarly, the number of partially vaccinated people with a dose reached 14.8 lakh — nearly 40% of the population — with at least 11,557 individuals taking their first dose.
Lucknow’s urban adult population is 23.6 lakh. Of these, about 57% (13.6 lakh) people in urban areas have so far been fully vaccinated and 33% (7 lakh) have received a single jab and are waiting for the second. In comparison, of the 13.7 lakh rural adult population, 4 lakh (29%) people have been fully vaccinated and 7.1 lakh (52%) partially.
This means that the rate of vaccination in the rural belt is significantly lower than in urban areas. Officers cite delay in the start of the inoculation drive in rural areas and hesitancy among people due to several myths as the main reason for the villagers lagging in overall vaccination.
Also, overall 5 lakh people have not taken any dose so far.
Chief medical officer Dr
Manoj Agrawal said, “Initially, the target was to cover as much as the population as possible in quick time. Hence, the focus was on urban areas where more people reside. Besides, there were some rural pockets, where vaccination started late. But later, by cluster approach and special camps, rural areas also picked up pace.”
Now, in the ongoing doorto-door awareness campaign in the villages, healthcare teams including
Asha and
Anganwadi workers are busting myths and motivating people to take the jab as soon as possible, he added.