Back to school as nearly 91K queue up for vaccines
Prawesh Lama and Fareeha Iftikhar
Hand≠ san[t[sersp doub̂e≠maşsp≠and≠face≠s◢[êds —≠res[dents≠of≠t◢e≠nat[onâ≠cap[tâ≠stepped≠out≠of≠t◢e[r≠◢omes on≠monday≠dur[n↘≠a≠̂oçdown to≠queue≠up≠for≠cov[d-19≠vacc[ne≠jabs≠at≠pub̂[c≠sc◢oôs≠[n d[fferent≠parts≠of≠t◢e≠c[ty≠t◢at ◢ave≠been≠converted≠[nto≠[nocûat[on≠centres≠as≠part≠of≠t◢e state≠ ↘overnment’s≠ p̂ans≠ for t◢e≠ expanded≠ dr[ve≠ to≠ cover t◢ose≠between≠18≠and≠44≠year≠of a↘e.
T◢e≠summer≠◢eatp≠w◢[c◢≠was just≠s◢y≠of≠40°c≠on≠monday≠afternoonp≠d[d≠not≠p̂ay≠spo[̂sport for≠ peop̂e≠ w◢o≠ sa[d≠ t◢ey’ve been≠wa[t[n↘≠for≠a≠vacc[ne≠s[nce t◢e≠pandem[c≠bro̧e≠out.≠no≠s[↘n of≠◢es[tancy≠◢ere.
Ĉassrooms≠ t◢at≠ were abrupt̂y≠ s◢ut≠ because≠ of≠ t◢e v[rus≠̂ast≠yearp≠opened≠a↘a[n≠on Mondayp≠but≠t◢[s≠t[me≠as≠“war rooms≠a↘a[nst≠cov[d-19”p≠a≠c[v[̂ defence≠vôunteer≠sa[d.≠
At≠t◢e≠kendr[ya≠v[dyâaya≠[n Tu↘◢̂aqabadp≠ĉass≠1-d≠became an≠ observat[on≠ room≠ w◢ere t◢ose≠w◢o≠↘ot≠t◢e≠jab≠wa[ted≠for 30≠ m[nutes≠ to≠ observe≠ for adverse≠events.
Ĉass≠2-d≠was≠t◢e≠attendance roomp≠w◢ere≠one≠◢ad≠to≠s◢ow t◢e[r≠ appo[ntment≠ ŝ[p.≠ A≠ few rooms≠ awayp≠ two≠ aux[̂[ary nurse≠m[dw[ves≠(anms)p≠s[tt[n↘ on≠ĉass≠teac◢er’s≠c◢a[rs≠[n≠front of≠an≠undusted≠b̂açboard≠w[t◢ notes≠ from≠ a≠ February≠ 2020 mat◢emat[cs≠̂essonp≠were≠ready to≠ adm[n[ster≠ t◢e≠ vacc[nes≠ to benef[c[ar[es.
Sc◢oôs≠across≠t◢e≠c[ty≠saw s[m[̂ar≠scenes≠on≠day≠1≠of≠t◢e expanded≠ dr[vep≠ w◢[c◢≠ was rô̂ed≠out≠two≠days≠̂atep≠ow[n↘ to≠ a≠ s◢orta↘e≠ of≠ doses≠ [n≠ t◢e c[ty.≠
As≠t◢e≠cap[tâ≠reês≠under≠t◢e fourt◢≠ wave≠ of≠ [nfect[onsp≠ t◢e Dê◢[≠ ↘overnment≠ be↘an≠ t◢e mass≠vacc[nat[on≠pro↘ramme≠[n ¯6≠sc◢oôsp≠w◢[c◢≠◢ad≠301≠[nocûat[on≠centres≠between≠t◢em.≠
More≠t◢an≠45p000≠benef[c[ar[es≠[n≠t◢[s≠cate↘ory≠can≠↘et≠jabs across≠t◢e≠300≠centres≠[n≠a≠dayp accord[n↘≠to≠t◢e≠↘overnment.
Around≠ 9.2≠ m[̂̂[on≠ peop̂e are≠ê[↘[b̂e≠for≠t◢e≠jabs≠[n≠t◢e 18-44≠a↘e≠↘roup.
NEW DELHI:
ADeputy≠c◢[ef≠m[n[ster≠man[s◢ S[sod[a≠ on≠ Monday≠ sa[d≠ t◢e Dê◢[≠↘overnment≠◢as≠rece[ved 450P000≠vacc[ne≠doses≠so≠far≠for t◢e≠t◢[rd≠p◢ase.
On≠ Mondayp≠ about≠ 90P803 peop̂e≠across≠a↘e-↘roups≠across t◢e≠c[ty≠↘ot≠doses≠of≠t◢e≠vacc[ne.
“We≠wa[ted≠for≠t◢[s≠moment for≠more≠t◢an≠a≠year.≠i≠c◢eçed t◢e≠co-win≠webs[te≠â̂≠day≠on Sunday.≠i≠̂ost≠â̂≠◢opes≠of≠↘ett[n↘≠ a≠ ŝotp≠ but≠ one≠ f[nâ̂y opened≠ up≠ around≠ 11.30pmp” sa[d≠ad[tya≠kp≠w◢o≠too̧≠t◢e≠jab at≠t◢e≠tu↘◢̂aqabad≠sc◢oô.≠
Outs[de≠ t◢e≠ centresp≠ Dê◢[ Pô[ce≠ personnê≠ and≠ c[v[̂ defence≠ vôunteers≠ ensured peop̂e≠ ̧ept≠ t◢e≠ requ[red≠ d[stance.
Some≠vôunteers≠sa[d≠[t≠was unĉear≠ to≠ many≠ peop̂e≠ t◢at wâ̧-[n≠ vacc[nat[ons≠ weren’t â̂owed≠for≠t◢e≠18-44≠a↘e≠↘roup.
A≠ c[v[̂≠ defence≠ vôunteer posted≠ outs[de≠ a≠ sc◢oô≠ [n sout◢-east≠ Dê◢[’s≠ Môarband sa[dp≠“t◢ere≠were≠many≠peop̂e w◢o≠ do≠ not≠ use≠ smartp◢ones but≠ came≠ w[t◢≠ t◢e[r≠ Aad◢aar cards.≠it≠was≠d[ff[cût≠to≠exp̂a[n to≠t◢em≠t◢at≠one≠◢as≠to≠use≠t◢e [nternet≠and≠↘et≠t◢emsêves≠re↘[stered.≠ Many≠ bê[eve≠ [t≠ [s≠ a wâ̧-[n≠ vacc[nat[on≠ s[te.≠ T◢e ↘overnment≠must≠come≠up≠w[t◢ an≠âternat[ve≠met◢od≠for≠peop̂e≠to≠↘et≠an≠appo[ntment.”
But≠[t≠wasn’t≠smoot◢≠sa[̂[n↘ everyw◢ere.
Off[c[âs≠at≠a≠sc◢oô≠[n≠badarpur≠sa[d≠t◢ey≠d[d≠not≠↘et≠t[me≠to prepare≠ s[↘na↘e≠ t◢at≠ woûd ◢ave≠ ◢êped≠ peop̂e.≠ Every sc◢oô≠◢ad≠at≠̂east≠t◢ree≠vacc[nat[on≠po[nts.≠
T◢e≠centre≠number≠[s≠spec[f[ed≠ on≠ t◢e≠ appo[ntment≠ ŝ[pp but≠t◢ese≠were≠not≠d[sp̂ayed≠[n most≠sc◢oôs.≠
A≠coup̂e≠◢ad≠to≠be≠pac[f[ed≠at a≠ sc◢oô≠ [n≠ sout◢-east≠ Dê◢[’s Ja[tpur≠after≠t◢ey≠were≠tôd≠t◢ey were≠at≠t◢e≠wron↘≠centre.≠
“T◢e≠address≠of≠t◢e≠centres≠[n t◢e≠co-w[n≠app≠[s≠va↘ue.≠i≠went to≠t◢ree≠d[fferent≠sc◢oôs≠before com[n↘≠◢erep”≠sa[d≠amar≠s[n↘◢p w◢o≠ was≠ wa[t[n↘≠ outs[de≠ t◢e ↘[r̂s≠sen[or≠secondary≠sc◢oô≠[n Ja[tpur.≠
At≠ severâ≠ p̂acesp≠ t◢e≠ dr[ve be↘an≠wê̂≠after≠10amp≠̂ead[n↘ to≠ ̂ar↘e≠ crowds.≠ For≠ [nstancep vacc[ne≠ v[âs≠ arr[ved≠ ̂ate≠ at≠ a Dê◢[≠ ↘overnment≠ sen[or≠ secondary≠sc◢oô≠[n≠jan↘pura.≠
T◢e≠sc◢oô’s≠pr[nc[pâp≠har[s◢≠c◢andp≠sa[d≠15≠teac◢ersp≠f[ve IT≠ personsp≠ f[ve≠ c[v[̂≠ defense vôunteersp≠f[ve≠anms≠and≠one doctor≠were≠dep̂oyed≠at≠t◢e≠vacc[nat[on≠s[te.≠
“T◢ere≠[s≠âso≠an≠ambûance outs[de≠ [f≠ anyone≠ reports≠ any adverse≠eventp”≠◢e≠sa[d.