In the wake of the rising number of the Novel Coronavirus or COVID-19 cases, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare announced COVID-19 vaccination at workplace.
According to sources, employees aged 45 years or above are eligible for the vaccination at their workplaces, both private and government. The decision to open vaccination for workplaces would aim at increasing immunisation at a time when the nation is reporting more than 1.20 lakh single day cases.
The Union Health Ministry in a statement said that organising vaccination at the workplace will not only be convenient to the working staff but will also help to avoid travel and hence reduce the risk of exposure to the COVID-19 virus. In regard to this, the Union Health Ministry wrote to all states and union territories (UTs) governments to take necessary measures for the same. Any private or government workplace having more than 100 beneficiaries would be eligible to conduct CVC at the workplace by tagging the nearest vaccination centre.
Speaking about the process, the vaccination would be allowed after the District Task Force (DTF) chaired by the district magistrate and Urban Task Force (UTF) chaired by the municipal commissioner will identify government and private workplaces where COVID-19 vaccination sessions can be conducted. Moving ahead, after the approval, the company’s management will designate one of their senior staff to work as a “nodal officer” to coordinate with district health authorities or private Covid Vaccination Centres (CVC) and support inoculation activities. The nodal officer appointed by every workplace will oversee and facilitate all aspects of vaccination at “Work Place CVC” such as registration, availability of physical and IT infrastructure and oversight to vaccination and others.
Beneficiaries who already received the first dose of vaccination would not be allowed to take part in workplace vaccination drives. Also, to avoid confusion, of the two India made vaccines, one would be given to the entire office. Speaking about the cost of the vaccination, for government offices, it would be free of cost, whereas private offices need to pay as per cost at private COVID-19 centres.
In regard to this, the MoHFW said, “They are allowed to take service charge subject to a ceiling of ‘100 /- per person per dose and a vaccine cost of ‘150/- per person per dose. ‘Hence, the financial ceiling of the total amount recoverable by private health facility is INR 250/- per person per dose.”
The vaccination process at the workplace would begin from the 11th of April.
