At a time when Jharkhand is battling vaccine hesitancy in several rural areas, a centenarian from Deoghar district is sure to emerge as the "poster dadu" of the government’s inoculation drive to combat Covid-19.

On Sunday, health officials in Deoghar successfully inoculated a 101-year-old Chhota Jagdish Mahto from Devipur block, his first dose of Covishield, making him the oldest in the state to have been vaccinated since nationwide rollout of the drive in January this year.

Deoghar deputy commissioner Manjunath Bhajantri told reporters that such instances come as a great boost for the officials who are working round the clock to increase vaccine coverage in the district. “The elderly has led by example by taking vaccines on his own during door to door drives,” he said, appealing to others to come forward with similar enthusiasm.

Devipur block development officer Abhay Kumar Jha said that they spotted Mahto outside his house during the door to door survey. “When we approached him to know if he had taken the vaccine, he replied in negative. We told him that he must take it to which he readily agreed. Vaccinators gave the jab and he is doing fine,” he said.

However, it wasn’t known if he was infected with the virus since the outbreak last year but another official, who was part of the visiting team to the village on Sunday, said that the elderly stayed negative during both the first and second waves. “He said he didn’t contract the virus so far, however it is still to be officially checked. The man has one son and two grandchildren,” he said.

Deoghar has 23 per cent coverage of vaccination of 45 plus age group. Against the target of 3,79,334 beneficiaries, it has inoculated the first dose to 1,48,268, as per the vaccination report of the health department released on Saturday night. It however has registered good coverage for second dose as against the target of 19,283 for 45 plus age group, it inoculated 17,603 so far. In the 18 plus age group category, it has given first dose to 40,332 against the target of 7.11 lakh, which is 5.67% while the time for second dose is still to arrive.