Kerala’s Wayanad district has become the first district in the State to administer the first dose of COVID-19 vaccination to all the eligible population above the age of 18 years. The district administration had organised a 2-day mega vaccination drive with the support of civic bodies, Tribal Development, Health, and Labour Departments, members of Kudumbashree Mission, and ASHA workers, for this vaccination. The achievement comes ahead of the visit of Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Monday to review the COVID-19 situation in the southern state.

State Health Minister Veena George on Monday appreciated the efforts of the health workers who were involved in the inoculation process of the targeted population above 18 years of age in the district. She said, ''The government had formed 28 mobile teams to visit the remote Tribal hamlets. The teams also visited the houses of 636 bedridden patients and administered vaccines.''  She added that the civic bodies, Tribal Development, Health and Labour Departments, members of Kudumbashree Mission and ASHA workers played their role in achieving this.

The health minister said the first dose of vaccine was given to 6,16,112 targeted persons, above 18 years of age. ''Persons who tested positive for the infection, those in quarantine, and persons who refused the vaccine were exempted from the drive.''  The state government has also given the second dose vaccine to 2,13,311 (31.67 per cent) persons in Wayanad district, she said.

Kerala on Sunday reported 18,582 new COVID-19 cases pushing the total infection count to 36.69 lakh, as the number of people succumbing to the disease rose to 18,601 with 102 additional deaths.

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