Vaccine equity: Rural India sees sharp rise in COVID-19 inoculations

Nearly 63%
of the total COVID-19 vaccinations in India in the last three weeks were in the
rural parts of the country, according to official data. This shows a sharp rise
in rural vaccinations. Of the 9.87 crore doses administered in the last three
weeks, 6.22 crore were administered in rural parts of the country. The daily
average of vaccinations in rural parts has now increased to 29.66 lakh,
according to a report in The Indian Express.

On May 1,
when all adults in India were made eligible to receive COVID-19 vaccines and on
June 23, only 51% of the total doses administered were in rural India, the
central government had told the Supreme Court in June 26.

Therefore,
the recent rise shows a sharp shift in vaccination focus. This shift has extremely
significant public health implications because rural parts of the country were
badly hit during the ferocious second wave. An increase in vaccination coverage
in rural parts is expected to reduce mortality and disease severity if and when
there is a third wave.

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Moreover,
in the first two phases of the vaccination drive, the jabs mostly floated
around urban centres leaving the rural populace largely unprotected. This shift
is an indication of rising vaccine equity as well as lower vaccine hesitancy
which was reported in rural parts initially.

As of data
compiled till Monday, 11 states have reported more than 2 crore vaccinations.
Six out of 11 of these states have reported 63% vaccine coverage in rural
areas.

Kerala
leads the charge in rural vaccinations having administered 31.83 lakh cases in
rural parts in the last two weeks making up 74% of its total vaccinations in
the period.

In case of
Uttar Pradesh, 73% of the total vaccinations in the last two weeks were
administered in rural areas. Bihar has administered 48.69 lakh doses in the
last two weeks, of which 72% were in rural areas and Andhra Pradesh
administered 71% of its doses among the rural populace and Madhya Pradesh 69%
in the last two weeks.