This story is from January 18, 2021

Covid vaccine recipients in Kolkata gear up for mid-week drive

A section of frontline healthworkers in city government hospitals who have either received the Covid vaccine on Saturday or are part of the first-phase rollout, will participate in a different vaccination drive midweek targeting infants and children. They will take part in the routine universal immunization programme on Wednesday, keeping the Covid vaccination drive on hold for the day.
Covid vaccine recipients in Kolkata gear up for mid-week drive
Picture used for representational purpose only
KOLKATA: A section of frontline healthworkers in city government hospitals who have either received the Covid vaccine on Saturday or are part of the first-phase rollout, will participate in a different vaccination drive midweek targeting infants and children. They will take part in the routine universal immunization programme on Wednesday, keeping the Covid vaccination drive on hold for the day.

Even as the government hospitals gear up to increase number of booths on their premises and deploy more manpower to ensure smooth execution of Covid vaccination drive four days a week, steps have also been taken to ensure routine immunization programmes are not hampered.
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“We are taking all necessary steps possible to ensure there’s no other activity inside the hospital, including routine immunisation for infants and kids, is hampered because of the Covid vaccination drive. We have five public health nurses in our hospital, among whom one would have been dedicated for Covid vaccination for this week. But we have several more trained nurses who can handle the Wednesday immunization schedule even if there is an increase in booths at our hospital,” said a senior official of SSKM Hospital.
Though the hospital is currently operating with one booth with a target to vaccinate 100 beneficiaries per day, the number of booths will be increased to 4 and 400 persons will be vaccinated per day in due course of time, sources said. The hospital has around 1,000 odd nurses, out of which around 100 are trained to inject vaccines and medicines, authorities said.
“Covid vaccination programme will be closed in our hospital on Wednesdays to facilitate routine immunization for children. There is a direction that routine vaccination programme in no way should be hampered,” said Anima Haldar, principal, Infectious Diseases and Beliaghata General Hospital.

Under the Universal Immunization Programme, free vaccination is provided to check preventable diseases like diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, polio, measles, severe form of childhood tuberculosis and hepatitis B, haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) and diarrhoea. The fact that the immunization schedule wouldn’t be hampered has come as a respite to many young parents.
Even as hospitals that have opened up vaccination sites in the city will close Covid vaccination on Wednesdays to give way for universal immunization, hospitals in the districts have been asked to shut Covid vaccination on Thursdays as well.
“We have reserved Wednesdays for routine vaccination,” said Saibal Mukherjee, principal of NRS hospital.
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