Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, May 24: In a move to simplify the process of registration for vaccination among the 18 to 44 age group, the centre on Monday allowed walk-in registration and on-the-spot vaccination. The option, however, will be open only at the government-run Covid vaccination centres for now and not in the vaccination centres run by the private hospitals. Private CVCs should publish their vaccination schedules exclusively with slots for online appointments, it stated.
The Gujarat government, however, refused to accept the option and said the existing compulsory on-line registration would continue in the state.
The union Health and Family Welfare ministry stated that making online appointments mandatory for inoculation for the 18-44 age group has so far prevented overcrowding at the vaccination centres. But walk-in registration has now been opened up for this age group in order to prevent vaccine wastage.
In case of sessions exclusively organised with online slots, towards the end of the day, some doses may still be left unutilised in case the online appointee beneficiaries did not turn up on the day of vaccination due to any reason, it noted.
“In such cases, on-site registration of a few beneficiaries may be necessary to minimize the vaccine wastage. Also even though CoWIN provides for features such as registration of up to four beneficiaries with a mobile number, facilitated registration and appointments through applications, such as Arogya Setu and Umang, people requiring facilitated cohort’s facility and those without access to internet or smart phones or mobile phones may still have limited access for vaccination,’’ the Ministry said.
However, the Centre has empowered the respective state and UT governments to take the final call on the matter. “State/UT must decide on opening of on-site registrations/facilitated cohorts’ registration and appointments for 18-44 years age group based on the local context just as an additional measure to minimize vaccine wastage and for facilitating vaccination of eligible beneficiaries in the age group 18-44 years,’’ stated the release.
It advised the States and UTs to issue clear instructions to all district immunisation officers to strictly adhere to the decision of respective State/UT governments regarding the extent and manner of using the on-site registration and appointment feature for 18 to 44 years age group.
Fully reserved sessions could also be organised for providing vaccination service to the beneficiaries belonging to facilitated cohorts. Wherever such fully reserved sessions are organized, all efforts must be made to mobilise such beneficiaries in sufficient numbers, urged the Ministry.
It further advised the States/UTs that abundant caution should be exercised and extreme due care taken while opening up on-site registration and appointment for 18-44 years age group, in order to avoid overcrowding at the vaccination centres.
The Gujarat government, however, has decided against taking the walk-in option even in the government vaccination centres. The state additional chief secretary (health) Jayanti Ravi said Gujarat would continue to follow the existing online registration system till further orders and advised the people against crowding at the vaccination centres without prior registration. She did not assign any reason for refusing walk-in registration but sources said the decision was taken due to shortage of vaccines which might not be sufficient even for the registered recipients.
In Mumbai, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation decided to allow walk-in vaccination for lactating women in Mumbai. Additional Municipal Commissioner Suresh Kakani has issued instructions to the health department to give special consideration to lactating women post-delivery.
Meanwhile, the Centre further stated that it has advised the states and UTs to issue clear instructions to all district immunization officers to strictly adhere to decision of respective state/UT governments regarding the extent and manner of using the on-site registration and appointment feature for the 18 to 44 age group.