Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Thursday called upon the district administrations and the health department to achieve cent percent first-dose Covid-19 vaccination coverage by mid-August, based on headcount.

Chairing a virtual e-Pragati meeting with the district administrations on Thursday, the CM emphasized on using headcount as the base for the vaccination drive, rather than using electoral rolls or population census.

He said headcount would give the correct status of the vaccination doses as a good chunk of the population of interior districts may have their names in the electoral rolls of their respective districts but are settled in urban areas of other districts, where they might have got their vaccine.

“For example, if we go by the electoral rolls as per guidelines, the Itanagar capital region has already vaccinated way above 100 percent of its population. Similarly, in some districts like Kra Daadi, they have vaccinated less than 50 percent of their population, as per the electoral rolls number,” he said.

Khandu expressed appreciation for the fact that most of the districts have completed the headcount of their existing populations and are on a drive to vaccinate them all. He urged the districts which are yet to do so to complete the headcount by July-end.

Informing that there is no shortage of vaccines, the CM requested the district administrations to “reach out, convince and vaccinate all with at least the first dose by mid-August.”