CHANDIGARH: The
Punjab government has extended the time limit for health care workers to get their first Covid-19 vaccine shot from February 12 to 19.
However, it has made it clear that those health care workers who fail to get covered till February 19 may not get free vaccination and will be vaccinated under the drive to inoculate the general population after the completion of ongoing phase1 and 2. The vaccination of frontline workers in the ongoing second phase will be completed by the first week of March in the state.
These decisions were taken during the third meeting of the state steering committee for Covid vaccination chaired by chief secretary Vini Mahajan on Monday. The chief secretary directed the health department to monitor and review the post-vaccination adverse reaction, if any, to the beneficiaries. Instructions were also issued to collect offline data of healthcare and frontline workers who have not yet been registered and were willing to get vaccinated, and keep it ready for registration.
The Punjab government would request the Centre to allow uploading of such data and vaccinate the interested persons covered under the priority groups. The chief secretary also asked the officials to strictly monitor the vaccine use to minimise wastage.