TVs, fridges: Bihar govt announces lucky draw to boost Covid-19 vaccination

Bihar’s second-dose Covid-19 vaccination coverage has been low. The state administered 77.23 million doses till Wednesday. As many as 53.21 million have taken the first shot and 24.02 million are fully vaccinated

The Bihar government has announced a lucky draw for prizes such as TVs and refrigerators until December 31 for those taking the second dose of the Covid-19 vaccine as part of efforts to boost the vaccination coverage and fully inoculate the state’s 73.44 million eligible adult population.

A health worker administers a dose of Covid-19 vaccine to a beneficiary in Patna, Bihar. (Santosh Kumar /HT)

“The lucky draw competition will be open to the public between November 27 and December 31,” said Bihar health minister Mangal Pandey on Wednesday. He added every block will have one winner eligible for a bumper prize while 10 others will receive consolation prizes weekly till December 31.

Pandey said 2,670 people will receive bumper, 26,700 consolation, and 114 monthly grand prizes at the district level.

Bihar’s second dose vaccination coverage has been low. The state has administered 77.23 million Covid-19 vaccine doses till Wednesday. As many as 53.21 million have taken the first shot and 24.02 million are fully vaccinated. The state wants to inoculate most of its eligible adult population by the year-end.

Pandey underlined single shot of the vaccine does not guarantee protection.

Manzoor Khan, a councillor in Bihar’s Katihar district, in June introduced the idea of gifts such as TV sets through a lucky draw to encourage people to take the jabs. The move led to a record 800 people in the district turning up at a vaccination centre to get vaccinated.