Covid-19 vaccination info of defence personnel in Bihar to be kept under wraps

The Central government has set up an exclusive channel with the defence ministry for this purpose.

Details of defence personnel have been kept classified on the Covid vaccine intelligence network (CoWIN) software application, shared with the states for distribution of the Covid-19 vaccine. Bihar on Saturday embarked to vaccinate 2.15 lakh frontline workers (FLWs) enrolled in the state so far.

States and UTs have been asked to increase coverage, ensure beneficiary turnout per sessions and ensure minimum vaccine wastage. (Reuters)

The Central government has set up an exclusive channel with the defence ministry for this purpose.

Bihar has around 8,000 defence personnel across Patna, Gaya, Purnia and Darbhanga districts who are being vaccinated against Covid-19 in the second phase. Of these, Danapur (in Patna) and Gaya establishments are under the Army while Bihta (in Patna), Purnia and Darbhanga are under the Indian Air Force.

“The CoWIN application does not contain the details of defence personnel as the information is perceived to be sensitive. We have been communicated only about the number of vaccine vials to be made available to defence establishments. The defence ministry will take care of the rest,” said an officer privy to the order.

Defence personnel will be vaccinated through the Army Medical Corps (AMC) which will also tackle adverse event following immunisation (AEFI), if any, said the officer requesting anonymity.

“Our teams have found the section of vaccination at defence establishments to be up to the mark. We have supplied the required quantity of vaccines to defence personnel and they will do the inoculation internally,” he added.

As many as 2.15 lakh FLWs have enrolled for vaccination against Covid-19 in Bihar. The state expects to enrol around 2.40 lakh FLWs for vaccination in the second phase as names in some districts were still being uploaded on the CoWIN portal. Frontline workers, under the ministry of home affairs, include personnel from police, prisons, central paramilitary force and disaster management, besides defence, panchayati raj, revenue, housing and urban affairs.

Bihar will have a minimum of two session sites (vaccination centres) in each of its 38 districts for vaccination of the FLWs. It had 301 centres for the vaccination of 4.76 lakh healthcare workers (HCWs) listed on the portal in the first phase. The state had completed the inoculation of 3.53 lakh HCWs till Friday since the pan-India launch of the Covid-19 vaccination campaign on January 16.