Ludhiana, March 30: In a move to further augment its effortsto rein in the contagion by inoculating a larger section of the populationunder the 'Vaccination at Doorsteps' drive, Deputy Commissioner Varinder KumarSharma on Tuesday directed the health department to organize 200 immunizationcamps from April 1.
After inaugurating a vaccination camp organised at AvonCycles by Onkar Singh Pahwa today, Deputy Commissioner said that from April 1,all the citizens above the age of 45, irrespective of co-morbidities, would beeligible for COVID-19 vaccination and at present, only citizens above 60 andthose over 45 with co-morbidities are allowed to get the vaccination besideshealth and frontline workers.
He asked Civil Surgeon Dr Sukhjeevan Kakkar and DistrictImmunization Officer Dr Kiran Gill to convene meetings with the privatehospitals, IMA and other health officers in industrial houses and train themfor the inoculation and other formalities required for the Covid camp.
He asked them to send him a complete schedule of 200 campsthrough elaborated planning with all stakeholders, targeting as many eligiblesas we can vaccinate quickly through camps.
Sharma said as the 'Vaccination at Doorsteps' drive hasreceived thumbs up from the residents, it would be accelerated to cover themaximum entitled by organizing 200 camps from April 1.
He asserted that we need to make this drive a publicmovement against the Covid pandemic by ensuring aggressive participation of theeligibles in the camps to get the shot.
Deputy Commissioner emphasized that those entitled mustaccept and come forward to receive the vaccine, presuming its duty towards thecountry and should not believe in rumours.
He further said that vaccination is being carried out ingovernment health facilities on all 7 days of the week and it is completelyfree of cost at these institutions. For private hospitals government has fixeda maximum fee of Rs.250 for each dose of vaccine.
During the camp at Avon Cycles, he took a pledge fromvaccinated workers that they would disseminate the information among theirfamilies and societies about the importance of the vaccine which is very muchsafe and effective in reducing infections.