In a first, Mohali to start vax on doorstep for old, infirm

Sanjay Bumbroo

Tribune News Service

Mohali, June 21

In a unique initiative, the Mohali administration is set to commence “home vaccination” for the old, infirm and the differently abled, making it the first district in the country to start need-based door-to-door inoculation.

Ambulances with vaccination teams are being deployed in sub-divisions for vaccinating people on the doorstep, said Deputy Commissioner Girish Dayalan.

To avail of the home vaccination facility, registration has to be done by filling details of a person to be inoculated on a Google sheet, he said. It was mandatory that there should be at least 10 persons in the area who are to be vaccinated, he said.

“The pre-condition of a minimum 10 persons has been set to avoid vaccine wastage,” said Dayalan. “The facility is also being extended to women,” he said, adding that all 10 beneficiaries in the group should be women.

“Though our priority remains the elderly and the differently abled, for the ease of people, if an RWA seeks home vaccination and does not have sufficient number of senior citizens, the service will be extended on the condition that at least half of the total beneficiaries are 60 plus or differently abled. The remaining five can include anyone over 18 years of age,” said Dayalan.

“The door-to-door home vaccination facility is also being extended to organisations, associations, NGOs, RWAs and volunteers wishing to vaccinate over 30 persons at a given point of time at a given place,” said Dayalan. In such a scenario, beneficiaries need not be aged or infirm, he added.

The Deputy Commissioner said the number of people to be vaccinated, locality and the contact person’s number had to be mentioned while registering for the vaccination drive. “A vaccination team will reach the site within 24 to 48 hours and will wait for 30 minutes after vaccinating people to observe any adverse reaction,” he said.