Hindustan Times (Lucknow)

UP plans aggressive strategy to expand vaccinatio­n coverage

- Rajesh Kumar Singh letters@htlive.com

LUCKNOW : The Uttar Pradesh government has decided to launch an aggressive strategy to expand Covid vaccinatio­n coverage from June. As part of the strategy, the state health and family welfare department has decided to launch workplace Covid vaccinatio­n centres (WCVC), guardian special booths and drive through vaccinatio­n facilities.

LUCKNOW: The Uttar Pradesh government has decided to launch an aggressive strategy to expand Covid vaccinatio­n coverage from June.

As part of the strategy, the state health and family welfare department has decided to launch workplace Covid vaccinatio­n centres (WCVC), guardian special booths and drive through vaccinatio­n facilities.

Also, the plan is to increase vaccinatio­n centers in rural areas, said health and family welfare minister Jai Pratap Singh.

“To protect the rural population from the Covid-19, the state government has decided to inoculate people above 45 years residing in the villages on a priority. The assistance of the people’s representa­tives like gram pradhans, MLAs and MPs are being taken to motivate the people to get themselves registered on Co-WIN portal at the public service centers running in the villages,” said the minister.

Since the launch of vaccinatio­n drive on January 16, the state has given around 1,70,74,158 jabs to the beneficiar­ies.

Of these, over 1,36,81,405 people had been administer­ed the first dose while around

33,93,753 people have got the second jab. UP has administer­ed over 15 lakh doses to the people in the age group of 18-45 years, he said.

The population of Uttar Pradesh is 24 crores.

On vaccine stock, Singh said Uttar Pradesh was getting regular supply from central government besides it was procuring vaccines from Serum Institute of India and Bharat Biotech.

Additional chief secretary,

health and family welfare Amit Mohan Prasad said with the beginning of vaccinatio­n drive for the 18-45 age groups in the 75 districts from June 1, the vaccinatio­n rate will increase three times of what it currently stands.

In rural areas, the department plans to inoculate at least 1000 people a day in scarcely populated districts.

The vaccinatio­ns centres are being categorize­d for a smooth and swift vaccinatio­n, said Prasad. The health department has decided to set up four workplace vaccinatio­n centres in each district, two in government offices, one each in the district court and the informatio­n department office.

Over 50 people will be given doses every day at each workplace centre, he said.

The government plans to vaccinate around 100 parents of children under the age group of

12 years at each centre set up exclusivel­y for them.

In districts with high population, there will be a provision of one extra guardian special booth, he said.

Extra centers will be set up in the densely populated districts for bank workers, railway and transport department employees and other government department­s.

There will be provision for reserving 50 vaccine slots for the category of 45+ employees that will take the daily doses administra­tion count to 100, he said.

To ramp up the vaccinatio­n in urban areas, the state government has decided to set up three centres for 18-45 age groups so that 100 people can get their doses every day, Prasad said.

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 ?? DEEPAK GUPTA/HT PHOTOS ?? (Clockwise from above) A beneficiar­y getting vaccinated; a girl clicking a photograph of a youth while he gets the jab and crowd gathered for vaccinatio­n at LDA office in Gomti Nagar on Thursday.
DEEPAK GUPTA/HT PHOTOS (Clockwise from above) A beneficiar­y getting vaccinated; a girl clicking a photograph of a youth while he gets the jab and crowd gathered for vaccinatio­n at LDA office in Gomti Nagar on Thursday.

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