West Bengal govt’s priority plan works, getting second jab turns easier

KOLKATA: People who have visited inoculation centres for their second dose of Covid-19 vaccine have not had to queue up for hours for their turn or report early in the morning to register their names.
According to officials in the health department, the process has become smooth after the government decided to prioritise second dose recipients due to limited availability of vaccine in the state. The third phase of immunisation for those aged between18 and 44 will start only after vaccines are available in sufficient quantity.

Though the first dose has been stopped even for senior citizens, those who are due for their second dose are able to get it without any hassle.
According to Co-Win, there are 2, 036 vaccination centres in the state and over 1.1 crore people have either been vaccinated once or twice.
Long queues, chaos and uncertainty had become a constant feature outside vaccination centres when cases started surging sharply and panic prompted people to rush for vaccines. Banani Ghosh, 61, a resident of BB Ganguly Street, was scared seeing the visuals of chaos on television. “My second dose was scheduled in the first week of May, but I was scared to see the crowds outside vaccination centres. I did not want to expose myself to the virus. But I was in for a surprise when I went to the School of Tropical Medicine for my second dose. There was no queue at all. I received my second dose within 10 minutes,” said Ghosh.
On Friday, the state government had published a list of government immunisation centres where anybody whose second dose was due could walk in for inoculation. It also stated which centre will provide which vaccine.
“Since May 1, more than 200 people are getting their second dose here and it has been smooth. Our staff is around to assist them,” said a vaccination officer at the School of Tropical Medicine.
At MR Bangur, too, more than 400 people are getting vaccinated with second dose daily. In more than 100 KMC clinics in different wards, second dose is being administered.
“Initially, there was some commotion outside vaccination centres but now people have understood that they will have to wait for the first dose. This has come as a respite for those waiting for their second dose. They don’t have to wait in the queue,” said a health department official.