Covid-19 vaccination coverage was initially low due to hesitancy: Govt

At the start of the COVID-19 vaccination drive, fewer beneficiaries than planned attended inoculation sessions due to transient technical issues in the Co-WIN portal, vaccine hesitancy etc, which have progressively been addressed, Rajya Sabha was informed on Monday.

The rate of vaccination coverage has subsequently increased, Minister of State for Health Ashwini Choubey said in a written reply.

"More than 50 lakh healthcare workers and frontline workers have been vaccinated in 21 days in India, which is the fastest rate in the world," Choubey said.

A total of 93.6 lakh healthcare workers and 77.9 lakh frontline workers have been registered as on January 31.

A total of 37.58 lakh workers were vaccinated till January 31, he said.

"Initially the coverage was low. At the start of COVID-19 vaccination drive, fewer than planned beneficiaries attended vaccination sessions due to transient technical issues in Co-WIN portal, vaccine hesitancy etc., which have progressively been addressed," he said.

A communication campaign was carried out to raise awareness about the COVID-19 vaccines and address misinformation.

The communication strategy aims to disseminate factual information about the vaccine and the vaccination process. This is being done through multimedia platforms and the MoHFW website, Choubey said.