No free Covid vax for non-Jharkhand residents, orders health dept

RANCHI: Non-Jharkhand residents and those who are not posted in the state but are staying here should not get the Covid-19 vaccine during the free drive to inoculate all adults between 18 and 44 years, a government order has said.
In its order issued to all 24 districts late on Sunday night, the state health department said authorities should be vigilant on the identities and addresses of those coming to the vaccination centres.
The move came in the wake of reports that people from neighbouring districts of other states have crossed over to get the free vaccine.
The Hemant Soren government began the administration of free vaccines from May 14, two weeks after the nationwide rollout, due to lack of doses.
Sources in the state government told TOI that there are reports of people from neighbouring states are lining up at vaccination centres in at least two districts to get the doses after registering themselves in the CoWIN app.
State nodal officer for vaccination, Dr Ajit Prasad, “We got such reports from Bokaro and West Singhbhum where people from neighbouring states turned up at vaccine centres. Hence, the department has now issued directives to all districts to ensure proper verification before administering the shots.”
Notably, people living in the border districts keep shuttling between the states for work and other purposes. In Saranda of West Singhbhum district, the border with Odisha is just a road and the villagers from both sides crossed over from time to time.
“The CoWIN app can’t recognize geographical boundaries and hence, even those living in Odisha side can easily register to get the vaccine at centres in Jharkhand,” another official said.
Following the order, several districts have issued fresh protocols to plug the loopholes. In East Singhbhum, the district administration has asked all block development officers and vaccine centre officials to verify the background and addresses of beneficiaries before administering the shots.
The district's deputy commissioner, Suraj Kumar, said, "Directives have been issued to BDOs of border districts to check the identity cards of the beneficiaries so that anyone from Bengal or Odisha could not get the vaccine."
According to health department records, about 1.97 crore people fall in the age group of 18-44 but the state is currently reeling under an immense shortage of doses. Moreover, after the Centre put the onus on the states to arrange vaccines for this age group on their own, officials said it is important to be more vigilant to avoid financial losses and a situation where the state residents could not get the vaccine.
State water resources minister Mithlesh Thakur said, "For the state government, vaccinating its people is a priority. Hence, we should ensure that all of them get the free vaccine.”