Covid-19: PM Modi lauds 100% first dose vaccination in Himachal Pradesh

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday urged Himachal Pradesh to vaccinate everyone eligible for the second dose of the Covid-19 vaccine as soon as possible. The state has become the first in India to administer the first dose to 100% of the eligible population.

The PM interacted with healthcare workers and beneficiaries of the vaccination programme in the state to celebrate the landmark. Modi said the country is vaccinating at a record speed of 1.25 crore vaccines per day and is close to reaching the 70-crore vaccination mark.

“Himachal Pradesh has emerged as a champion in the fight against the largest epidemic,” Modi said. The state has already vaccinated one-third of those eligible for the second dose, the PM said. The vaccination drive will help the state revive tourism, which employs a large section of its population, he said via video conference.

Modi said even in a remote district like Lahaul-Spiti, Himachal Pradesh had administered the first dose to the eligible population. “This is the area which used to be cut off from the rest of the country for months before the Atal Tunnel was built,” he said.

The PM commended healthcare workers for successfully vaccinating a large section of the rural population and those living in remote locations. Himachal Pradesh has achieved the record without any vaccine wastage, despite challenges in storing and transporting vaccines, the PM said.

The state has also done well in dealing with vaccine hesitancy and disinformation through teamwork, use of local traditions and Buddhist leaders supporting the drive.

The PM said the new drone rules will help states like Himachal Pradesh deliver healthcare and medicines to homes in remote locations. He urged horticulture growers in the state to move to organic farming and making the state’s soil free of chemicals within 25 years.