COVID-19: J&K village first in India to vaccinate all adults
A remote hamlet in the Bandipora district of Jammu and Kashmir has become the first village in India to vaccinate its entire adult population against the novel coronavirus. Weyan has an adult population of 362 and is located 28 kilometers from the Bandipora district headquarters, but a major portion of that distance needs to be covered by foot as there is no motorable road.
A 10-member healthcare team, led by a doctor, inoculated 362 residents over the two days it was stationed in the village, according to Bandipora's Block Medical Officer, Dr. Masraat Iqbal. The vaccination was carried out under the J&K model - a 10-point strategy aimed at vaccinating the entire adult population at a faster pace. The model includes reaching out to people in remote areas.
Officials say the credit for the successful program goes to the healthcare workers there. "A distance of 18 kilometers has to be covered by foot as there is no motorable road," a health department official said, according to PTI. Bashir Ahmed Khan, Chief Medical Officer, Bandipora, said, "It was not possible for the residents to get appointments...like the way people in urban areas do."
Riyaz Ahmed, a resident of the village, said he initially thought the vaccine would "kill" him. "It was only after some of our village residents took the shot and survived that I developed faith in vaccines," Ahmed said, according to The Times of India.
Weyan, a village in district Bandipora (JK) has become the first village in the country, where entire population above 18 years has been vaccinated.@PMOIndia@MoHFW_INDIA@drharshvardhan @PIB_India @AshwiniKChoubey @OfficeOfLGJandK@iamJaideepB @dcbandipora pic.twitter.com/dkEBsW1PKK
— PIB in Jammu and Kashmir (@PIBSrinagar) June 8, 2021
More than 33 lakh doses of coronavirus vaccines have been administered in Jammu and Kashmir, as per a recent report. Nearly one lakh personnel of the Jammu and Kashmir Police (JKP) have also been reportedly vaccinated. In fact, the Union Territory has already completed 70% vaccination for the 45+ age group, almost double the national average, officials said.
India began the coronavirus vaccination drive this January. However, the program has been marred by a serious shortage of doses across several states. So far, more than 23 crore vaccine doses have been administered across India, but only 3.3% of the Indian population has been fully vaccinated as yet. The Indian government on Monday announced that it will provide free vaccines to all adults.
