Centre allows on-spot beneficiary registration
New Delhi: Worried over the low turnout of healthcare workers at the COVID-19 vaccination sites, the government has decided to allow on-spot beneficiary registration. The beneficiaries would be able to register themselves through Co-WIN app which has been modified to accommodate individuals reaching the vaccination sites. The states have been asked to upgrade Co-WIN apps.
"On average 100 individuals are allowed for vaccination at every site, but it has been reported that only fewer people are turning up at some centres. So, we have modified the app to also accommodate beneficiaries scheduled to take the jab on other dates, which was not possible in existing software," said Dr RS Sharma, who is the chairman of the empowered group on COVID-19 vaccination.
Briefing about the daily vaccination drive going on across the country, the health ministry on Wednesday said that there has been no case of serious or severe adverse event following immunisation (AEFI) attributable to the vaccination process. Till 6pm on Wednesday, 7,86,842 beneficiaries have been vaccinated at 14,119 sessions. Out of them, 1,12,007 beneficiaries have been vaccinated on Wednesday in 20 states.
"Three people were hospitalised after vaccination in Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan and all of them have been discharged. Four beneficiaries in Delhi were hospitalised after vaccination and among them, one is under observation at Rajiv Gandhi Hospital, while three have been discharged. In Karnataka, one was discharged and one is under observation and in West Bengal, one is under observation," the ministry said.
Earlier on Wednesday, a 42-year-old healthcare worker in Nirmal district of Telangana, who received COVID-19 vaccination, died after complaining of chest pain. However, a health official said that the death is unrelated to the vaccination.
The ministry also said that the deaths that have been reported after vaccination have not been found to be related to it. "The post-mortem of the Moradabad case confirms cardio-pulmonary disease, while the Bellary case autopsy suggests myocardial infarction. The Shivamoga case too is a suspected case of myocardial infarction and the Telangana case is under probe," the ministry said.
With 13,823 infections reported in a day, India's COVID-19 caseload rose to 1,05,95,660, while the recoveries surged to 1,02,45,741. The national COVID-19 recovery rate stands at 96.70 per cent now.
The death toll due to the disease increased to 1,52,718 in the country as 162 new fatalities were recorded, the ministry data updated at 8 am showed.
