State to increase centres to finish inoculating 6 lakh poll workers
Kolkata: State Health department has decided to use the primary health centres, sub-centres, local school buildings, community halls, kisan mandis in the districts as vaccination centres to complete the inoculation of nearly 6 lakh election workers within March 6.
According to Health department sources, the primary health centers, sub-centers and various other buildings in the remote areas have already been made ready as vaccination sites so that a large number of people taking part in the election can be vaccinated within a short span of time.
Vaccination of election workers has been started from Monday and the process would be continued till March 6.
"Nearly 6 lakh election workers need to be vaccinated with the deadline of March 6. We do not have enough time in hand. Hence it is absolutely necessary to increase the number of vaccination centers. Else it would not be possible to complete the inoculation drive within the stipulated time. The first dose of vaccination would be administered on the election workers from February 22 up to March 6 following which the second dose of vaccination would be initiated," a senior health department official said.
It was learnt from the sources in the department that the second dose of Covid vaccination is expected to be completed within April 3. It may take around two weeks for a recipient of the vaccine to develop immunity against the coronavirus. "We have enough infrastructures to increase the number of vaccination centres. If there is a requirement, we can double the number. No centres have been opened in the rural areas. Vaccination centres have already started in the hospitals in the block level. We would open the centers in the remote areas on the basis of the requirements.
State government has already vaccinated more than 75 per cent of the total targeted health workers. The Health department prepared the list of 6 lakh health workers. The vaccination of front line workers has already been started by the state government.
