UNVACCINATED HEALTH STAFF TO GET THE DOSE WITH GENERAL PUBLIC: CENTRE

NEW DELHI: If the states are not able to provide at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine to health care and frontline workers by the end of the deadline assigned by the Centre, the remaining beneficiaries in these categories will then be given the vaccine with the general population based on their age group, the Union health ministry warned states on Tuesday.

Only 12 states have so far vaccinated at least 65% of their registered health care workers while 11 states are still hovering around 40% or less mark.

“Union health ministry has directed all states to schedule at least once all registered health care workers on CO-WIN app for vaccination by February 20, and those who are left unvaccinated for any reasons should be given the shot in mop rounds to be concluded by February 24. And for those who are registered on CO-WIN but miss both the scheduled round and the mop round, we would have no choice but to take them in age-appropriate category while vaccinating the general population,” said Union health secretary Rajesh Bhushan.

For frontline workers, whose vaccination started on February 2 across the country, the deadline for scheduled vaccination will be March 1, 2021, and the deadline for mop up rounds will be March 6. More than six million (63,10,194) beneficiaries, including healthcare and frontline workers, have been vaccinated with the first dose of Covid-19 vaccine as on Tuesday.