Rajasthan govt offers free cooking oil as incentives for jab in Jodhpur district

Jaipur, Jan 05: After a slow start, India's Covid-19 vaccination drive has hit some promising milestones over the past few months.

As the next leg of the nation's Covid vaccination drive begins, the health department of Jodhpur in Rajasthan has started offering incentives to residents to get them inoculated.

To draw people to vaccination centres, the department with the help of a local NGO in Shergarh block resorted to providing free edible oil to draw more vaccine-takers and found that it worked well, especially among the less well-off.

As vaccine hesitancy is a matter of concern, the 'incentive' initiative is likely to boost Covid vaccination drive in the rural areas.

The move yielded enthusiastic results for the health department.

The state government is also making people aware about the Covid-19 pandemic with the help of NGOs in the blocks.

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Friday announced that India has crossed the milestone of 145 vaccinations so far.

Acknowledging the efforts of healthcare and frontline workers, Mandaviya appreciated them. He wrote, 'My gratitude to our doctors, scientists, healthcare & frontline workers for displaying immense grit, determination & resolve in the challenging 2021 year."