Volunteers convincing reluctant beneficiaries to take COVID jab in AP

INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
VIJAYAWADA: Ward and village volunteers are checking out homes of targeted beneficiaries aged above 45 years to persuade the unwilling ones
to take the Covid-19 vaccine.Given the consistent rise in the number of coronavirus infections across the state, the state government
directed health authorities to concentrate on highly inhabited metropolitan areas and towns
It just recently extended vaccination centres to ward and town secretariats to be within the reach of individuals
With the addition of individuals aged above 45 years, health authorities recognized the beneficiaries at all levels
They fixed a day-to-day target of 500 individuals in each ward secretariat and almost 300 at each village secretariat
The vaccination schedule will be from 9 am to 5 pm with a possible extension by an hour if the requirement arises.Volunteers and ASHA
workers project in the targetted areas a day prior to the vaccine date
Some recipients are failing to turn up for different factors
At this juncture, the volunteers and ASHA employees list out those who have missed out and by afternoon visit their homes and convince them
to take the vaccine
Those who refuse to take the jab mention factors that consist of worry of side-effects like fever and body pains, high blood pressure and
blood sugar level and further health issues, circumstances of death of some individuals after vaccination
A ward volunteer stated, We are even discussing about our personal experiences and also inform them that if they stop working to get the
jab being provided free of charge, they will end up being susceptible to getting contaminated with the virus
Some individuals are giving up their inhibitions after personal persuasion and are coming for the jab
Health director Dr T
Geetha Prasadini stated As we have actually targetted to administer Covid vaccine a minimum of for 90% of recipients, we are sending
volunteers and ASHA employees to check out the houses of those who fail to turn up and persuade them about the need to take the jab