People with disability can get jabs at home
NEW DELHI: Differently-abled people, senior citizens and those with restricted or limited mobility across India will soon be administered the Coronavirus disease (Covid-19) vaccine shot at home if they are unable to go to vaccine centres, the government announced on Thursday.
Only 6% of all doses of vaccine shots administered between May 1 and September 22 were done at private hospitals, while the remaining were all at public health facilities, senior health ministry officials said during the government’s Thursday’s media briefing on Covid-19 updates.
“I am pleased to inform that the government has made a provision wherein those with restricted mobility, who cannot step out of their house to get vaccinated, such as those who are differently-abled, elderly or those with some special needs, will be administered vaccine shots at home under the supervision of trained vaccinators, following the requisite standard operating procedures (SOPS). The advisory in this regard has been issued to states,” said VK Paul, member (health), Niti Aayog.
In a letter issued on Thursday, states and Union territories have been directed to make suitable arrangements for the rollout. “Those who have not been able to take the shot because of this reason will benefit from this,” he added, without elaborating when the programme would start.
The at-home vaccination drive will be in addition to a citizen-friendly intervention for near-to-home vaccination centres for elderly and differentlyabled citizens, started in May 2021, which is already in place. Around 162 million doses have been administered under the latter scheme.
Meanwhile, government data shows that public health facilities have been overwhelmingly favoured by people as their choice of vaccination centre, accounting for 94% of all doses administered since May 1.
“If we take the figures from the first of May to 22nd of September, roughly 6% doses have been administered in private hospitals, and remaining doses have been administered in public health facilities,” said Rajesh Bhushan, secretary, ministry of health and family welfare.
Initially, the private sector was allowed procurement of up to 25% available supplies.
However, in one of the earlier press briefings, the Union health secretary said there was no earmarked quota of Covid-19 vaccine supplies for the sector.
Meanwhile, the health ministry has also shared guidelines with states head of the expected festive rush, stating that mass gatherings should be avoided in areas identified as containment zones and in districts reporting more than 5% case positivity.