No UP address, no shots for 18-45
NOIDA: On Tuesday, Gautam Budh Nagar vaccination centres turned away all those in the 18-45 age group who could not produce a proof of his/her residency in Uttar Pradesh.
The move came in pursuance to an order from the Uttar Pradesh directorate of the National Health Mission (NHM), the nodal agency for vaccination in the state, which said vaccines procured by the state could be used only for its residents.
Many people who arrived at vaccination centres in the district after having registered and booked a slot on the CO-WIN portal were turned away for want of a UP address proof. The disappointed beneficiaries said the portal had not mentioned this rider.
District officials said that people can produce any documents such as electricity bill and lease/rent agreement, among others, to prove their residency.
There are no restrictions on the 45+ age group, officials added.
The new policy comes as the Uttar Pradesh government expanded the vaccination drive to the 18-45 age group in all districts from June 1. Till then, only 10 districts had been vaccinating this group.
District administration officials cited the state NHM order dated May 22, 2021, which HT has seen, for the move.
“Vaccines procured by the state government should only be used to vaccinate those who can prove their residence within the state,” read the order.
Vandita Srivastava, additional district magistrate (finance) who issued the notification in Gautam Budh Nagar, justified the rider on vaccination, saying, “The cost of vaccine doses for people aged 45 years and above is being borne by the central government. But, as the UP government has procured vaccines for the 18-45 age group using money from the state exchequer, our aim is to benefit maximum number of people from the state.”
Srivastava further said that the district administration is not denying vaccines even to temporary residents in the state. “Eligible people can show any document that establishes Uttar Pradesh as their temporary or permanent place of living and they’ll get the shots. We can’t give the vaccines meant for the UP residents to the people from neighbouring states. We’ve asked the staff at all vaccination booths to strictly adhere to the orders issued by the district administration,” the ADM said.
The officials made it clear that this rule doesn’t apply to Noida’s private hospitals where paid vaccination is being carried out.
Many turned away
Kailash Tyagi, a 28-year-old IT professional who is a resident of Yojna Vihar in Delhi, said that he had to return from the vaccination site at GIP mall in Noida, without getting the jab. “I had registered on CO-WIN app and was allotted a slot of 12 noon to 2pm. But as I am a Delhi resident, the vaccination staff refused to give me the dose, showing me a notification issued by the district administration,” he said.
Thirty two-year-old Sandhya Singh, a resident of Shahdara in east Delhi, met the similar fate at her allotted booth in Pathways School in Noida Sector 100. “The vaccination officials showed me the door saying that the vaccine doses are only for permanent or temporary residents of UP,” she said.