Vaccination of people over 45: State asks hosps to plan easing of process

Kolkata: The state Health department has asked both the government and private hospitals to draw up plans as to how all the people above 45 would be vaccinated from April 1 adhering to protocols.

The hospitals have been urged to prepare a road map to handle the pressure once the people above the age of 45 take part in the vaccination programme. Various health establishments are already busy in vaccinating the elderly people, the front line workers, health workers and the poll personnel.

Once the vaccination programme is launched for any person above 45, it would further add to the existing burden. As a result, the Health department has laid stress upon proper planning, time management and the execution of the plans.

All the hospitals and health centers which are conducting vaccinations have been asked to expand their infrastructure to cope with the situation. One of the main purposes behind the move is to vaccinate more numbers of people within a short span of time.

The hospitals will have to maintain a data for those above 45 whose vaccination would be started from the next month.

The Centre on Tuesday sent directives to the State government asking to start vaccination for all the people above 45.

Earlier, the people between 45 and 59 were only entitled to receive the vaccine if they had comorbidity. But from April 1, every person above the age of 45 will be able to get a jab, as it has been mandated by the Centre.

The State Health department has already sent necessary guidelines to the hospitals mentioning the new norms of vaccination. The new norms stated the gap between two doses of Covishield vaccine must be increased from 4 weeks to 6/8 weeks for better results. Following the instructions, the hospitals and Covid vaccination centers (CVCs) are now rescheduling the dates after the Centre increased the gap between the dates of two doses. Recipients of one does are calling the hospitals and seeking new dates for the second does. Hospitals are also communicating to the people who have received first dose of Covishield and offering them new dates.

If any recipient comes to the hospitals and CVCs to receive the second dose after 28 days they will be given a new dates 42 days after the first dose.