Delhi opens special centre to vaccinate trans persons
NEW DELHI: Delhi has started special vaccination drives for transgender persons and sex workers in the city as part of its efforts to inoculate such people, who have been categorised as ”high risk groups” by the ministry of health and family welfare. One such dedicated vaccination centre for transgender persons opened on Tuesday at the DUSIB Flats, opposite the Sultanpuri bus terminal, in northwest Delhi, while another one was launched for sex workers in the central district on Monday, officials said.
A third one, in the west district, is in the process of being launched, they said.
Delhi has at least 55,633 female sex workers and 9,496 transgender persons in the high risk groups, according to the National AIDS Control Programme of the Union ministry of health and family welfare.
Cheshta Yadav, district magistrate (DM), northwest, said the Sultanpuri centre vaccinated at least 45 beneficiaries till 4pm on the first day.
The district administration shared posters of the drive to spread awareness about the programme and also provided transportation to persons in these groups, who were identified with the help of NGOs in the area. The centre will function from 9am to 5pm till Friday.
Samaira (19), a social worker and a transgender person, took her first vaccine dose from the centre on Tuesday.
“I cannot tell you how relieved I am to finally get access to a vaccination centre. The best thing is that this is a walk-in centre and it is exclusively for people from my community. One of my transgender friends, who was bold enough to go to a general vaccination centre, did not return happy; she had to face eyeballs and murmurs while waiting in queue. We feel safer in set-ups that are exclusively meant for people of our community,” she said.
On June 8, Hindustan Times first highlighted how Delhi lacked special vaccination centres for transgender persons and sex workers. Several activists and NGOs, working for transgender persons and sex workers, also demanded easier access to vaccines in “community friendly settings” and assistance in booking slots.
Masoom, a sex worker who wanted to be identified only by her nickname, said the problem she and many of her friends faced was the lack of identity cards.
“The Co-WIN portal asks for Aadhaar or other IDs and most of us don’t have any. Registration was a problem. I hope walk-in centres are opened for us soon,” she said.
A senior Delhi government official said the Union government has allowed vaccination of people in high risk groups even if they do not have any of the seven acceptable ID proofs. “District administrations have to identify one key facilitator in each such group and that person must have an active mobile number and at least one valid identification proof. The Co-WIN system now provides the facility to create special vaccination sessions -- facilitated cohort registration -- that allows the registration of as many beneficiaries as are to be covered (subject to the limit prescribed), without the mandatory capturing of mobile number and photo ID of each,” the official said, asking not to be named.
Akriti Sagar, district magistrate (central), said her district just completed one round of the special vaccination drive for sex workers and the second round is scheduled for Wednesday. “We are conducting a multipronged outreach programme for marginalised communities. GB Road (a red-light district) falls under our jurisdiction. So, today (Tuesday), we conducted a special medical camp and counselling session for sex workers by sending our mobile vans there. Tomorrow, we will hold the second round of vaccination for them at Mata Sundari school,” said Sagar.
The district has identified at least 800 trans persons, who will be vaccinated in two phases, the DM said.
“The first phase will be held on Thursday at Happy School, Daryaganj. We will also provide them with ration kits on the day of vaccination, as an incentive for others to take the jab. More vaccination centres will be set up for trans persons and other marginalised sections in the coming week,” Sagar said.
Kriti Garg, district magistrate (west), said the district administration is currently identifying such beneficiaries in the area.
“We are in touch with a few representatives of these groups (transgender and sex worker) and we will have a session site for them as soon as we get some data on the number of beneficiaries. We have deployed mobile teams and their roster will be confirmed soon,” the district magistrate said.