AAP bigwigs launch poll booth vax; low Covaxin stock for 45+

New Delhi: A Delhi Cabinet Minister and senior AAP MLAs on Tuesday launched the 'Jahaan Vote, Wahin Vaccine' campaign under which they spread awareness and encouraged citizens aged above 45 to get vaccinated at local polling booths in their assembly constituencies.

This came as Kalkaji MLA Atishi later on Tuesday evening while announcing the vaccination bulletin said that the Covaxin stocks for those above the age of 45 in the city would be over after today (Wednesday), following which government centres administering this vaccine will have to be shut temporarily until the next batch of vaccines arrives from the Centre. "We are waiting for the central government to send another shipment of vaccines for this category. Covishield stock is available in Delhi for 45+ category. In such a situation, people can get vaccinated with the first dose," Atishi said at an online press briefing.

She said that the city had around 5.5 lakh doses of vaccines left for those above the age of 45, of which just around 8,000 are of Covaxin.

Atishi further said that the doses of Covaxin are available for the youth of 18 to 44 years, saying, "We had 27,000 doses of Covaxin available till this morning. Young people eligible for the second dose will be given Covaxin for the next couple of days. But Covishield Stock is not available with us at present."

She said that about 50 per cent of Delhi's population above the age of 45 had been vaccinated. "After this, the vaccination drive has slowed down and is not increasing. One reason for this is that there are many people who have recently had Covid and because of this are not eligible to get the vaccine. Secondly, many people also have a misconception that there can be some harm by getting the vaccine and the vaccine should not be administered. For these reasons many people were not getting the vaccine."

Nevertheless, to dispel vaccine hesitancy among this age group, Delhi Food and Civil Supplies Minister Imran Hussain along with Atishi and other MLAs, kickstarted the door-to-door vaccine assistance programme, where Booth Level Officers, party volunteers and health officials visit homes of electors and register them for an appointment at the nearest polling booth. CM Arvind Kejriwal had said that this would allow officials to reach all of Delhi's population above 45 in four weeks' time. He had added that the Delhi government will also arrange for e-rickshaw transportation of this age group so that they need not worry about travelling for their shots.

At Kalkaji's ward number 91, there are 44 booths and 44 teams of the AAP will be going door-to-door, helping people where needed. This will continue on Wednesday and the day after at other wards, Atishi said while starting the initiative off in her constituency.