Health dept ready to give jabs to citizens above 60 years

Kolkata: The State Health department is ready to conduct vaccination of elderly citizens from next month after the Union government on Wednesday announced that people above 60 years of age and those over 45 with comorbidities will be given COVID-19 vaccine shots from March 1.

The Health department has already chalked out plans to smoothly conduct vaccination drives on the common people, particularly those above the age of 50.

Senior health officials held a number of meetings to discuss various issues related to the inoculation drive. The health officials are considering various aspects before beginning the drive. "The State government is ready to conduct the drive among the elderly citizens. The process will begin after the state receives the clearance from the Union Health Ministry," a senior health official said.

The Health department has been preparing comprehensive data of the people above the age of 50 who are expected to get vaccinated after the front line workers. The district health officials have already been asked to deploy the health workers who will collect data from the households.

Various other methods may also be applied to collect data of elderly people. Vaccination drive will only be done on the senior citizens if they meet the parameters set by the Union Health Ministry, sources in the Health department said.

Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan during his recent trip to the city earlier this month had stated that the process of vaccinating the elderly citizens will begin across the country in March.

The State Health department has also directed the Chief Medical Officers in the districts to hold camps in the block level so that the health workers who are still left out can take vaccines at these camps.

The main purpose behind organising camps in the block level is to ensure that the health workers who are still reluctant to receive dose come forward.

The district health officials have been directed to spread awareness so that the health workers take the job. All the health workers who are yet to receive the first dose of the Covid vaccine have been requested to take the vaccine within February 25.