More than 70 per cent of eligible beneficiaries in Ranchi, the worst-affected Jharkhand district in terms of Covid caseload and fatalities, have received at least one dose of vaccine against Covid-19, government data revealed on Sunday.

Besides Ranchi, only East Singhbhum and Ramgarh districts have managed to inoculate more than 70 per cent of the eligible population. At least 75 per cent of the close to 7 lakh eligible residents in Ramgarh and 85 per cent of the nearly 17 lakh eligible residents in East Singhbhum have received the first dose of vaccine, highlights government data.

As per the state health department, at least 15,07,282 of the over 21 lakh beneficiaries in Ranchi have received the first dose of vaccine against Covid-19. On the other hand, as many as 6,51,400 residents here have also received the second jab.

The vaccine coverage for the first dose is about 71 per cent in Ranchi, while that for the second dose is 31 per cent.

The health machinery in the state is now focused on ensuring that the second dose beneficiaries are administered the jab on time.

State Additional Chief Secretary (Health) Arun Kumar Singh recently wrote to health officials, directing them to intensify vaccination and claiming that timely immunisation was the most important part of overcoming the Covid-19 pandemic.

The state is also set to launch door-to-door vaccination campaign in order to improve the vaccination coverage. However, the health department in Jharkhand is yet to achieve the set target of administering at least 3 lakh jabs daily.

“The coverage for the first dose of vaccine is quite encouraging. We are focused on ensuring that the second dose beneficiaries also get their jabs on time,” said state epidemiologist Dr Praveen Kumar Karn, adding that several initiatives are to be taken in the days to come to encourage vaccination even in the far-flung villages.

As per government data, there are a total of 2.41 crore eligible vaccine beneficiaries in Jharkhand. The state has so far managed to administer the first dose of vaccine to at least 1.49 crore residents, about 62 per cent of the total eligible population. Over 55 lakh residents, about 23 per cent of the total eligible population, have also received the second dose of vaccine.

Barring Garwah, all the remaining 23 districts in Jharkhand have administered the first dose of vaccine against Covid-19 to more than 50 per cent of the eligible population. Despite having a low eligible population of 9.67 lakh, Garwah only managed to administer the first dose of vaccine to 47 per cent of this population.