India's vaccination campaign is progressing steadily with over 124 crore doses administered so far and no news of a vaccine shortage recently. The detection of a new, more transmissible Omicron strain of the virus, however, has alarmed nations worldwide, and with little known about the virus yet, experts deem vaccination as the only weapon against it.
While India has vaccinated over 80 per cent of its population with the first dose, authorities are struggling to get people to the vaccination centres for their second dose.
Apart from the Centre's campaigns to boost the vaccination numbers, state and city bodies are coming up with innovative ideas and incentives to encourage people to get their second dose.
Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation is running one of the most pricey vaccination campaign, as it announced on November 30 that anyone who comes for their second dose between December 1 and December 7, stands to win an iPhone worth Rs 60,000 through a lucky draw.
The civic body had earlier offered one litre of free edible oil and Samsung mobile phones via another lucky draw to draw more beneficiaries. It had administered nearly 67,000 vaccine doses with this initiative in October.
In Haryana's Nuh district, free helmets, dinner sets and discounts on medicines in local shops are being offered to push up vaccination numbers. Nuh, which has the lowest vaccination rate in the state, saw a sharp rise in vaccination after this incentive.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday decided to ramp up the Covid protocols and also decided that those who do not take vaccines will not get free treatment anymore. According to the latest figures, 96 per cent of the above 18 age population in the state have taken the first Covid vaccine dose, and 63 per cent have taken both vaccines.
The Chandrapur Municipal Corporation in Maharashtra announced a lucky draw in November with prizes like LED TVs, refrigerators and washing machines.
Around 1.4 million people have missed the date for taking the second vaccine and all such people must ensure they take the second dose at the earliest, the government said.
In the first leg of the vaccination campaign, DMK MLA in Tamil Nadu Udayanidhi Stalin offered bags of rice, wheat flour and condiments to residents of his constituency for getting vaccinated.
IndiGo had offered 10 per cent discount to flyers who had gotten at least one dose of the vaccine.