Jamshedpur, June 8: Priest Vinay Das of Mahulia Panchayat under Ghatshila block near Jamshedpur has seen a lot in his lifetime. In the past 105 years, he has lived through a world war and now he is living during a pandemic and has received the first jab of Covid-19 vaccine.
According to officials, Das was visibly happy and said that he was waiting for the day to be vaccinated to enjoy a more active life. He also said a lot of misinformation was being spread unnecessarily about the vaccine and people should come forward to take it not just for their own benefit but for their family and society.
In order to clear the misconceptions about the Covid-19 vaccine, the district administration has embarked on a public awareness drive. The drive has also started showing positive results. On Tuesday, 105-year-old priest Vinay Das of Mahulia Panchayat under Ghatshila block, 95 year-old Narayan Gorai of Kasida Panchayat and 91-year-old Samir Mahato of Paraguri village, Barakhurshi Panchayat were given vaccination at their respective homes.
At the same time, despite the option of vaccination at home, 73-year-old Divyang Viren Bhakat, a resident of Amainagar of Ghatshila Panchayat, came to the center to get the vaccine.
“All these senior citizens have set an example for others by taking the Covid vaccine and have also played an important role in clearing the misconceptions about the vaccine. The district administration has expressed its gratitude to all the elders who took the vaccine for showing their participation in this campaign. The move will inspire others to come forward and take the vaccine without paying heed to the rumours,” said an official.
BDO, Ghatshila Kumar S Abhinav said that the awareness campaign being run from village to village is proving to be very successful. The vaccination team is vaccinating the elderly who are unable to walk, reaching home as per their wishes. He expressed the hope that no person of 45+ would deprive himself of taking the vaccine now.