Tamil Nadu's Rural Vaccination Push For 100-Day Scheme Workers

The community hall at the Sembakkam village in Tamil Nadu's Chengalpattu district was unusually packed with women on Tuesday. The district administration had organised a special vaccination camp for workers under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act after the state made vaccinations mandatory for all workers under the 100-day scheme.

After much hesitancy and delay, Sarada, one such worker, walked in to get her first dose Tuesday. "I had my daughter's wedding and could not take the vaccine shot. Now they won't let me work unless I am vaccinated," she told NDTV.

Women of all ages, employed under this scheme, assembled to get their doses as the state has made it mandatory for people at rural employment guarantee worksites to be vaccinated before they are given work.

D Jayasudha, an MNREGA supervisor, explained: "Around 150 to 200 workers sometimes gather for work under this scheme. When there is a crowd at workplaces, infection will spread to all. So vaccination is compulsory for 100-day work programme."

At one such site, only a dozen workers were seen Tuesday instead of the usual 50 as the rest had gone to the vaccination camp.

Sheela, a Covid survivor, lost her job at a company nearly five months ago. The mother of two took her first dose hoping to earn her income through the MNREGA scheme. "They have now announced that we can come for work only if we are vaccinated. So many have come for their shots now," she told NDTV.

On Tuesday, Tamil Nadu administered a record 5.75 lakh vaccine doses.

With the state's daily Covid tally steadily dropping after the unprecedented surge during the second wave, the state is witnessing vaccine apathy. Only 10.6% have been fully vaccinated and 42.8% have taken their first dose.

With this rural vaccination push, Tamil Nadu hopes to be well prepared to reopen schools and colleges and face a likely third wave of the coronavirus.