The nationwide vaccination of priority groups will begin January 16. In the initial phase, priority will be given to an estimated 3 crore healthcare workers and frontline workers.

The database of healthcare workers on the Centre’s CoWIN (Covid Vaccine Intelligence Work) app will be frozen on January 12 and that of frontline workers on January 25, the Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare said.

The health ministry has directed state health departments to ensure all vaccine beneficiaries, including healthcare and frontline workers are registered on the app. Follow Covid-19 Live Updates here

“We have repeatedly communicated that only pre-registered beneficiaries on Co Win will receive Covid 19 vaccine,” said Dr Mahesh Kumar Aggarwal, Additional Commissioner-UIP, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

That means those who do not register before the deadline will miss out on getting the jab in the initial phase of the Centre’s Covid-19 vaccination drive

“After the database for healthcare workers and frontline workers is frozen as per the timeline addition of bene, no addition of beneficiaries on Co-Win will be permitted,” Dr Aggarwal added.

The nationwide vaccination of priority groups will begin January 16. In the initial phase, priority will be given to an estimated 3 crore healthcare workers and frontline workers.

Healthcare workers and frontline workers will be followed by those above 50 years of age and those under-50 with co-morbidities — these number around 27 crore, the Health Ministry said.

More than 79 lakh potential vaccine recipients have already been registered on the flagship Co-WIN IT platform, which will provide real-time information of vaccine stocks and will track individual recipients.

According to operational guidelines given to the states, the prioritization of groups will depend on the “disease incidence and prevailing pandemic situation.” Timing for the rollout in these three priority groups will be guided by vaccine availability and won’t be “necessarily sequential,” the guidelines said.

Every eligible person for Covid vaccination needs to be registered on Co-WIN and a mechanism has been created to mark out different priority groups. The Centre has said that the latest electoral rolls for Lok Sabha and Legislative Assembly elections will be used to identify population aged 50 years or more.

Source: Read Full Article