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Covishield. (Those vaccinated in the very first phase
typically received Covaxin, India’s own vaccine.)
Although most Indian cities are now catch-
ing up, Dhari was an early success story, and con-
tinues to get people to show up—more recently,
for their second doses and booster shots. As of
the time of writing, more than 80% of eligible
adults in Dhari, one of the most remote places
in the world, have received a second dose, de-
spite heavy snowfall and road closures in hilly
areas. Kandpal says that by the end of February,
the adult population in the region will be fully
vaccinated—although it’s difficult to be com-
pletely certain in an area where officials struggle
to document the members of every household.
All eligible teenagers of ages 15 to 17 have also re-
ceived a first dose.
Other districts in the state have had similar suc-
cess, as has India’s mountainous state of Himachal
Pradesh. Indeed, the vaccination rate in many hill
districts far outstrips those of much richer places
with better health infrastructure and where vac-
cines are widely available. In the U.S., for example,
64.4% of adults have been fully vaccinated as of