'New Crisis Can Come': PM Modi Warns States To Target 100% Covid Vaccination

PM Modi urged the states to make strategies to accelerate vaccination drive and focus on 'Har Ghar Dastak campaign'.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi (Image: PTI)

New Delhi:  Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a virtual review meeting with districts having low COVID-19 vaccination coverage. PM Modi interacted with District Magistrates of over 40 districts in Jharkhand, Manipur, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, and other States with districts having low vaccination coverage.

The Prime Minister also spoke to the Chief Ministers of these states during the meeting and discussed a roadmap and how to accelerate the vaccination drive. 

PM Modi urged the Chief Ministers of states to target 100 per cent double dose vaccination otherwise the country could face a new crisis. While speaking to the district administrators, PM Modi said, "Progress made so far is due to your hardwork. Every member of the administration, ASHA workers worked a lot, walked for miles & took vaccination to remote locations. But if we become lax after 1 Billion, a new crisis can come."

PM Modi further said that many states that have achieved the goal of administering 100% first dose of vaccine, also faced different challenges in many areas. There were challenges of geographical situation, resources but these districts overcame those challenges to go ahead. Hence, it is their turn to make micro strategies, focus on areas, and clear out misconceptions regarding Covid vaccines.

PM Modi also said that one must never underestimate disease thinking they have a strong immune system or they lead a healthy lifestyle so they won't get infected as the virus doesn't discriminate. So there should not be even a slight laxity.

PM Modi urged administrators and state Chief Ministers to find innovative ways to bring people forward for vaccination, "In this biggest pandemic in 100 yrs, the nation faced several challenges. A significant thing in the nation's fight against Corona was that we found out new solutions, used innovative methods. You too will have to work more on innovative methods to increase vaccination in your areas."

Urging the CMs to focus on the 'Har Ghar Dastak' campaign, the Prime Minister even suggested the district authorities to contact spiritual and religious leaders and circulate short videos of them urging people to get vaccinated.

The meeting, which was held via video conferencing, included districts with less than 50 per cent coverage of the first dose and low coverage of the second dose of vaccine.

Prime Minister Modi has held the meeting immediately upon his return from abroad after attending the G20 and COP26 meetings.

Highlighting the need to accelerate the pace and coverage of vaccination, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya had recently said that there are more than 10.34 crore people in the country who have not taken the second dose of vaccine after the expiry of the prescribed interval.