Vaccination Express of Muzaffarnagar wheels in accessibility

When the process of Covid-19 vaccinations began in January, apart from hesitancy, the problem of accessibility was the major hindrance to the drive.
While the health department, administration and agencies assisting in the campaign worked hard, it took some time before numbers started to rise.
Administration and health officers in all districts were brainstorming daily on steps to be taken to ramp up vaccination, especially in small towns and rural areas.
It was in one such meeting in Muzaffarnagar district that the idea of Vaccination Express came up late in March. A feeder service between people and vaccination sites, it took care of one major hurdle.
“We could see that for senior citizens living alone or people in villages, the commute to a health centre or camp meant taking public transport, spending money or walking for long stretches, which was not feasible. The answer lay in a bus service and Covid-19 Vaccination Express took off,” district magistrate Selvakumari Jayarajan told TOI.
The service began in the city for senior citizens but has been extended to rural areas. Vaccination Express bus picks beneficiaries from their doorstep, takes them to the vaccination site and drops them back home after the jab. It is a simple solution but has helped immensely, said the DM.
The beneficiaries were identified with the help of ASHA and Anganwadi workers who conducted surveys and made a database of citizens who needed help. School buses were put on the job and decorated with flowers and balloons. A banner identified the bus as ‘Covid-19 Vaccination Express’. A follow-up visit was made for the second shot in the same way.
The service was inaugurated on March 22 by Union minister of state Sanjeev Baliyan, minister of state and Muzaffarnagar MLA Kapil Dev Aggarwal, district magistrate Jayarajan, chief medical officer Dr Mahaveer Singh Faujdar and health officials.
“About five buses are plying at the moment and make 10-12 trips daily, depending on demand. Village heads have shown great response to the service as it is easier to convince people now,” said Tarannum, district mobilization coordinator for UNICEF, which is assisting the government in the vaccination drive.
About 20,000 people have benefited from the Vaccination Express service till now, she said.
The service also ensures optimum use of resources and reduces wastage, added Jayarajan.
“All buses have been full since the beginning of the campaign. The health team is also aware that these many people are coming and they are prepared accordingly. This helps reduce wastage of all kinds,” said the DM.
With increased awareness and more vaccination booths since June 21, the service has been even more localised.
“At the village level now, instead of buses, we are using e-rickshaws where distance is short,” said the DM, adding that this has helped cater to a larger number of people in day.
“About 13,000 vaccinations are being done in a day and we plan to increase the number further,” she said.