Drive-in vaccination for elderly citizens in Kolkata

KOLKATA: As Duare Vaccine (vaccination at home) project has come to a halt in Bhowanipore, elderly citizens suffering from various ailments can now avail a drive-in jab opportunity. Under this scheme, an elderly citizen can be driven to the nearest KMC-run vaccination centre located in select neighbourhoods for the jab. Instead of entering the centre, the recipient will need to wait in the car till a registration process is over. Once done, the vaccinator from the KMC clinic will administer the shot in the car.
According to a KMC health department official, such a drive-in scheme was being held at a mega centre being run at Bhowanipore Education Society.
According to the KMC ward coordinator Ashim Bose, who had introduced a vaccination at home scheme and was later barred from carrying on with it, the drive-in vaccination was gaining good response. “Elderly citizens suffering from serious illness, who want to avoid the crowd, are now being given an opportunity to be administered the shot in the car outside the vaccination centres,” Bose said. Bose said people from Chakraberia Road (south), Aston Road, Sarat Bose Road, Elgin Road and Dr. Rajendra Road were taking the advantage of the drive-in vaccination scheme.
A doctor’s prescription is a prerequisite for availing this opportunity, that prove that the recipient has a health hazard threat. “Our medical officers in some other select vaccination centres are also using their prudence to decide who is eligible to avail the opportunity,” said a KMC health department senior official.