The Dhanbad district administration on Friday conducted a special vaccination drive for auto rickshaw drivers and LPG cylinder delivery boys, during which around 200 persons were vaccinated.

The vaccination drive for auto rickshaw drivers began on Friday morning at Railway Auditorium near the railway station in the presence of Sub Divisional Officer, Surendra Prasad while the vaccination drive for LPG cylinder delivery boys and refilling station staff has been conducted at the LPG refilling station of Indian Oil at Memco Mor of Dhanbad.

Talking to The Telegraph Online on Friday, Dr Vikash Rana, District Reproductive and Child Health Officer (DRCHO) who is also the nodal officer for Covid vaccination in the district said, “We have provided 100 Covaxin doses for each of the centre including Railway Auditorium and Indian Oil LPG refilling station at Memco More.”

“The drives conducted today are part of the special vaccination series under which 80 petrol pump staff were vaccinated on July 4 at three centres while 60 delinquents of Child Reformatory Centre at Bhuda were vaccinated on June 16,” said Rana.

On June 9, 60 physically and mentally challenged persons were vaccinated at Pehla Kadam, a school for differently-abled students.

“Our drive for special groups exposed to infection due to their profession will continue and we will be also conducting vaccination for street vendors, milk parlor staff etc soon” said Rana.

Speaking at the launch of the vaccination drive for auto rickshaw drivers, Surendra Kumar, Sub Divisional Officer of Dhanbad said, “The auto drivers are exposed to a large number of passengers coming from different places on a daily basis and are prone to infection so their vaccination should be of utmost priority.”

He further exhorted the auto rickshaw operator association office bearers present during the launching of the vaccination drive to ensure vaccination of all around 15,000 auto rickshaw drivers at the earliest and said “Regular checking of the vaccination certificates of the autorickshaw drivers would be conducted by the district administration and only those staff bearing the certificates for getting vaccinated will be allowed to operate.”

Sunil Singh, an auto rickshaw driver who is also the president of Jharkhand Parivahan Mazdoor Union said, “The drive launched today will not only benefit the auto rickshaw drivers and their family members but will equally benefit the large number of passengers travelling by auto rickshaws and we will request the drive to continue in the future.”