2 more areas in Bihar’s Champaran achieve 100% first dose vaccination

It took over two months for the vaccinators’ team, comprising UNICEF personnel and local health workers, to achieve the feat.

Bihar’s East Champaran’s Piprakothi block and Raxaul Municipal Council have achieved 100% inoculation with entire eligible target population above 18 years of age getting their first dose of Covid-19 vaccine with the help of officials who fought hard to overcome hesitancy among minority groups, district officials said on Sunday. Bankatwa block in the district was the first in Bihar to achieve the feat of 100% administration of the first dose among its residents.

Vaccinators had to overcome refusal to take vaccines in over a dozen Mahadalit and minority dominated wards. (PTI Photo/representative use)

“Covid-19 vaccine has been given to all people above 18 years in Raxaul Municipal Council of East Champaran (Motihari) district. Raxaul Municipal Council became the first city council in the state where everyone was vaccinated,” tweeted state health minister Mangal Pandey.

The first dose was given to as many as 31,591 people above 18 years of age in six panchayats spread over 20 revenue villages of Piprakothi block, which has a total population of 77,089 as per Census 2011, said officials. 59 pregnant women in the block will be inoculated later, they added.

It took over two months for the vaccinators’ team, comprising UNICEF personnel and local health workers, to achieve the feat, only a few days after Bankatwa block in the district became the first in the state to administer at least one vaccine dose to all its eligible residents.

East Champaran district magistrate Shirsat Kapil Ashok said, “The number of migrants are relatively high in the block. We are keeping a tab on migrant workers and other non-residents, and efforts are on to ensure that they get vaccinated as and when they come.”

Piprakothi block development officer (BDO) Manoj Kumar told Hindustan Times that vaccinators had to overcome refusal to take vaccines in over a dozen Mahadalit and minority dominated wards.

Kunti Devi, 60, a resident of Mahadalit Basti at Belajagatiya village said she held misconceptions about the vaccine for a long time. “Merely the mention of the jab would unnerve me. I dodged over a dozen attempts to be inoculated,” Devi said.

She, however, yielded to persuasion on June 25 after Motihari sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) and other officials reached her doorstep.

Similarly, Vinod Manjhi, 38 and his wife Malti Devi, 33, residents of ward number 4 of Belatal village in Piprakothi block, were refusing to get vaccinated worrying about the future of their five children if the vaccine rendered any harm. “With the rumours that spread, I too had disbelieved in vaccination,” said Manjhi, who took the jab during a mega camp.

Lalu Manjhi, a member of Musahar Vikas Manch (MVM), said it wasn’t easy for the organisation to convince people to take the jab. “Owing to sheer illiteracy and misconception about the vaccine, it took several meetings and awareness programmes by officials and local representatives to build up a positive opinion among the Mahadalit community,” said Manjhi. The minority group have a population of about 3,000 in the block, he said.

Officials also administered vaccines to residents of other villages in a bid to boost confidence further, said Priyaranjan Raju, sub divisional magistrate (SDM), Motihari (sadar).