Dr Asangba Tzudir
The Union Health Minister has urged Nagaland and three other states to launch aggressive COVID-19 vaccination campaign with a call for district-wise plan, weekly deployment of State Government officials for mobilization and motivation. This message comes in the wake of the low first dose coverage in Nagaland which is 49% as compared to India’s first dose coverage of 82%. The percentage of those having vaccinated is still a cause of concern because of the study which revealed that the expected immunity of population for the virus to spread transmission is around 65-70% which is also subject to immune escape by variants of concern – mutation or discovery of new variants, which may be more resistant to existing vaccines.
Deploying Government officials may have its own advantage because of the fact that the motivator is a government agent tasked to motivate and mobilise, and which are essential to clear the air of doubt from most of the doubting minds. While various controversies that surrounded the vaccine prevented many hesitant from taking the vaccine especially in the rural areas/villages. The fear factor needs to be properly erased and which requires proper education and counselling especially at a time when the common perception is that the pandemic seems to be subsiding. Though the statistics of COVID-19 positive cases shows a decline, the figures may escalate in a matter of days. That is the edge and the vulnerability on which the pandemic rests.
As part of the district-wise micro plans strict monitoring by the state is tantamount to increase in the coverage. More often such programmes and campaigns fail because the loud slogans fails to deliver when the outcome are assessed, which is a failure in the process of implementation and also because of the lack of proper monitoring. As such, for efficacy such micro plans are needed to review the progress of the vaccination drive.
Such campaign will be a much needed push factor for the still hesitant to take the vaccine, so also understand the seriousness and importance of taking the vaccine in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic situation may seem to be returning towards normalcy. However, it is still far away from the truth. The situation is still vulnerable and unless ‘we’ all act as responsible citizens in the fight against Coronavirus, we may be forced into another lockdown.
(Dr Asangba Tzudir writes a weekly guest editorial for The Morung Express. Comments can be mailed to asangtz@gmail.com)
