Vaccination turn: Civic body to issue advance coupons

kolkata: Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) will now issue coupons a day in advance for hassle-free vaccination from its mega centres in the city. The move will prevent crowding at the 18 mega centres in the city from where the civic body provides the jab. The KMC will not be able to offer Covaxin doses from its health centres and mega centres on Saturday too because of shortage in supply.

"Every day after the vaccination gets over at the mega centres, coupons will be issued to those who want to get inoculated the next day. They have to come with either voter card or Aadhaar card or Pan card along with their photocopies. A stamp will be put on the respective photocopies and coupons will be issued. The next day they will have to turn up with the coupon along with the stamped photocopy for getting the jab," Firhad Hakim, Chairman of Board of Administrators, KMC said.

The mega centres are used for inoculation of the priority groups. Police from the concerned police station will be present at the entry gate of the mega vaccine centres, who will allow the beneficiaries only after examining their respective coupons and photocopies of their identity cards.

However, vaccination at the urban primary health centres of the civic body will be held in the existing first-come-first-served basis. "If we receive Covaxin supply from the Centre on Saturday night, then we will be able to offer doses on Monday,"Hakim said.