Centre asks states, UTs to prepare COVID-19 vaccination at workplace from Sunday

By Sahil Pandey And Nishant Ketu
New Delhi [India], April 7 : In order to increase the access of vaccines to people above 45 years of age, COVID-19 vaccination sessions will be organised at public and private workplaces having about 100 eligible and willing beneficiaries by tagging these workplaces with an existing vaccination centre, the union health ministry has informed.
Such workplace vaccination centres may be launched across states and union territories from Sunday.
"COVID-19 vaccination sessions may now be organised at workplaces (both public and private) which are having about 100 eligible and willing beneficiaries by tagging these workplaces with an existing COVID Vaccination Center (CVC). To support the states in this initiative, guidelines have been prepared and the same have conveyed by the Union Health Secretary to the states and UTs. These guidelines will support the state and district program managers with the requisite information and guide them on organizing vaccination sessions at such workplaces (both public & private). Such workplace vaccination centres may be launched across states and UTs from April 11," the ministry has written to all states and UTs.
States have been further advised to initiate due consultations with private or public sector employers and management to prepare for the launch of workplace vaccination.
The central government, in constant consultation with state governments and UT administration, continues consistently make efforts to ensure that the vaccination drive is more pragmatic and also more acceptable and purposeful to the beneficiaries, as per the ministry statement.
"The District Task Force (DTF) chaired by District Magistrate and Urban Task Force (UTF) chaired by Municipal Commissioner will identify such government and private workplaces after due deliberations with relevant employers and/or head of offices," the letter said.
The letter further said, "Once identified, all such workplace vaccination centres will be registered in the CoWIN portal as government or private COVID-19 Vaccination Centre (CVC) at the workplace. The name of workplace CVC should be recorded in Co-WIN as full name and not as an abbreviation to have clarity."
COVID-19 vaccination at government workplace organised by district health authorities will be free of cost. COVID-19 vaccination organized by private CVC would be on a payment basis and will be at the same rate as of vaccination at a private health facility. Service charge subject to a ceiling of Rs 100 per person per dose, vaccine cost Rs 150 per person per dose. Hence, the financial ceiling of the total amount recoverable by private health facility is Rs 250 per person per dose, the letter read.
The third phase of the COVID-19 vaccination drive in India was started on April 1 for all citizens aged 45 years or more.