Vaccination sites cut from 89 to 75, jabs to be given just 4 days a week

‘Steps taken following Centre’s orders that indicate going slow on immunisation’

The government has cut the number of vaccine sites from 89 to 75.

The Delhi government on Wednesday reduced the number of COVID-19 vaccination sites in the city from 89 to 75, as per Central government directions, an official said. The number of days immunisation will happen in a week at a vaccination site has also been reduced from six to four following the Centre’s orders.

“On Wednesday, the Centre gave multiple directions which indicated to go a little slow on the vaccination drive,” another official said.

The immunisation drive is set to begin from Saturday.

Meanwhile, 20,000 doses of Covaxin reached Delhi’s central vaccine cold storage facility at the Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital (RGSSH) on Wednesday afternoon, said hospital spokesperson Chhavi Gupta.

On Tuesday, Delhi had received its first consignment of Covishield, 2.64 lakh doses, which were also stored at the RGSSH, as per the hospital.

On Wednesday evening, the doses were moved from RGSSH to several district vaccine stores, multiple officials said. The Delhi government, however, did not officially comment on the move.

Exception for Army

Exceptions will be given to healthcare workers of the armed forces and vaccine doses will be handed over to the armed forces without taking names of beneficiaries, according to a document seen by The Hindu .

A presentation made to the Delhi government by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Wednesday read: “The vaccines for the armed forces is to be handed over at the district level to their designated officer. No line listing of the beneficiaries may be asked and no registration on Co-WIN is required.”

“Basically, from the district vaccine stores, the vaccine doses will be given to the armed forces for vaccinating their healthcare workers. The names will not be shared with the city government for security reasons. Only the total number of healthcare workers will be shared,” a Delhi government official said.

“Only the number of healthcare worker vaccinated by the armed forces will be conveyed to the District Immunization Officer,” the document read.

The document added that the Delhi government should give syringes along with the vaccines to the armed forces and support them for storage and any adverse event following immunisation.