Fixed COVID vaccination centres at school complexes and other educational institutions will be discontinued from April 1, given these institutions are set to reopen soon amidst a fall in infection, according to an official order as reported by news agency PTI.
Delhi, on March 24, reported 132 COVID cases with a positivity rate of 0.40 per cent and zero death. "Fixed COVID-19 vaccination centres at school complexes and other educational institutions for the general population shall be discontinued with effect from April 1, 2022," the order said.
"COVID vaccination will be available at all GNCTD (Delhi government) health facilities and hospitals during the regular timings of these health facilities with due rationalisation of session sites as per the vaccination load at the CVC, which shall be reviewed from time to time," stated the order by the city health department authorities.
The countrywide vaccination drive was rolled out on January 16 last year, with healthcare workers getting inoculated in the first phase. Vaccination of the frontline workers started on February 2 last year. The next phase of COVID vaccination commenced on March 1 last year for people over 60 years and those aged 45 and above with specified co-morbid conditions. The country launched vaccination for all people aged above 45 years from April 1 last year.
"COVID vaccination will also be available at health facilities of other agencies viz MCD, CGHS, ESI, Railways, Armed Forces, Cantonment Board etc during facility timings," the March 24 order stated. Also, if there is a requirement, vaccination sessions may be conducted in a camp mode in other community establishments including, community halls, banquet halls and RWAs, observing the Union government's guidelines, it said.
To cover the 12 to 14-year-olds and the remaining 15 to 17-year-olds (first and second dose) cohorts, vaccination shall be conducted at school sites in "camp mode", as required, in close coordination with the education department. Out-of-school children shall be mobilised to the nearby health facilities, the order mentioned.
"The sessions shall be on all six days of the week at hospitals. In primary healthcare facilities, the sessions shall be four days a week (except for the two RI days). This will ensure the availability of sufficient daily vaccination capacity," it stated.
"Any local-level change in timings/extension of timings of the session sites may be planned at the level of DIO, based on the local needs. Home-based vaccination requests for bed-ridden and immobile beneficiaries shall be covered by the area catering health facility," it said.
