Braving Snakes & Crocodiles: How Andaman and Nicobar Islands Achieved 100% Vaccination Coverage

Apart from the beautiful beaches, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands is also known for good governance and the administration has proved it again by becoming first among all the states and Union Territories to achieve 100 per cent full vaccination coverage of eligible beneficiaries.

Speaking to News18.com over the phone, Suneel Anchipaka, DC South Andaman District, A & N Administration, said, “It is a proud moment for us. We have achieved the target due to teamwork, guidance and instructions of our Hon’ble Lt. Governor and the Chief Secretary.”

“I would also like to express my gratitude to all the health workers who worked hard and risked their lives to reach remote places in this archipelago. They travelled by land, while some reached the remotest places through sea and air routes. They walked through dense jungle and difficult hilly terrain where the presence of poisonous snakes and crocodiles are very high just to vaccinate people living in the remote areas,” he said. Ships and helicopters were also pressed into action to ferry the workforce and vaccines to inoculate people living in remote islands.

Speaking about the challenges faced by the administration in the vaccination drive, the DC South Andaman said, “This place is a mini India, and people here believe in peace. Since the pandemic was alarming, we roped in all the departments and collectively launched awareness campaigns on dos and don’ts while dealing with the crisis. We informed people that instead of panicking, they should follow the Covid-19 protocols.” He further thanked the people of Andaman and Nicobar Islands for being extremely cooperative. “We also kept the sentiments of the people during Eid festival by vaccinating them during the evening after the fasting hours,” he added.

The official said the administration was actively engaged with various NGOs to achieve the target. “It is worth mentioning that we have started mobile vaccination drive by reaching all households during late evenings to vaccinate labourers and other working population,” he added.

To celebrate the achievement, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands administration tweeted, “A&N achieved 100% Covid vaccine coverage, making it 1st State/UT to achieve the feat using only Covishield. UT Admin overcame Insurmountable odds for this extraordinary feat in one of the remotest parts of the world.”

The administration claimed that it became the first among the states and UT to achieve the goal using only Covishield vaccine.

Andaman and Nicobar Islands are spread over 836 islands (more than 800 km from North to South), separated by rough sea, extremely dense jungle, hills and exposed to inclement weather. The territory is located about 150 km north of Aceh in Indonesia and separated from Thailand and Myanmar by the Andaman Sea.

The vaccination drive started on January 16, 2021, in the islands. As per the latest health bulletin, 2.87 lakh people have received both doses of the Covishield vaccine.

Concerned over the Covid-19 surge earlier this year, the local administration had vaccinated the Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs).

“The boldest step under the able leadership of Hon’ble Lt. Governor @Admiral_DKJoshi was vaccinating most untouched Tribes of the world in A&NI. It was a leap of faith but was necessary to protect them from COVID19,” one of the tweets of the local administration read.

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