Only J’khand residents to get jab under 18-44 group

Amid prevalent uncertainty over availability of enough doses of Covid-19 vaccine to be administered to people under the 18-44 category, officials concerned have directed to ensure that only permanent residents under this category get the jab in the state

Amid prevalent uncertainty over availability of enough doses of Covid-19 vaccine to be administered to people under the 18-44 category, officials concerned have directed to ensure that only permanent residents under this category get the jab in the state.

HT Image

State nodal officer (vaccination), Ajit Prasad, has written to civil surgeons of all districts to this effect. “...Vaccination for 18-44 age group was started on May 14. Slots are being booked through the CoWin portal even by those who are neither residents of the state nor do they work here. Henceforth, vaccine will not be administered to anyone who is not a resident of the state nor to those who are not working here,” the order reads.

While the Centre provided vaccine doses to all states for inoculation of health workers, frontline workers and those above the age of 45, it asked the respective state governments to bear the cost of vaccinating those under the 18-44 category.

Against its purchase orders, Jharkhand has so far received 2.34 lakh doses of Covishield and Covaxin from the two approved manufacturers--Serum Institute of India and Bharat Biotech, respectively.

According to sources, the state received 134,400 doses of Covaxin and 100,000 doses of Covishield. It was likely to get another consignment of 287,000 doses of Covishield by end of the current week.

However, the number of doses received by the state so far was quite less, and if supply chain was not maintained, the inoculation drive was likely come to a halt, experts have opined.

According to an estimate by the state health department, the state has nearly 16 million people aged between 18-44 years, for which it requires 32 million doses.

Meanwhile, the state government’s recent move triggered political reactions. Former minister and BJP legislator CP Singh said the state government should not discriminate on the basis of residential address in times of a crisis such as this. “This issue is not related to giving jobs. This is a public health crisis and the government should not discriminate on this basis,” he said.

On the other hand, JMM legislator Sudivya Kumar defended the move, asking why will the Jharkhand government provide vaccine to people from other states at its cost.