'Prioritise vaccination for slum dwellers, workers on the field'

To check the pandemic spread and address the jabs shortage, volunteers on the ground suggest prioritising vaccination for those who cannot work from home and are required to be on the field. And since most of them live in slums and congested low-income quarters, centres should be set up there first.

Domestic workers, drivers, construction labourers, housekeeping staff, mall workers, food cart vendors and many others employed in the informal sector do not have the luxury to work from home. Vaccinating them first will make them less vulnerable to the virus and build confidence among their employers, the volunteers reason.

While this could arrest the pandemic spread and job losses, congested slums qualify for priority vaccination for another key reason: social-distancing as a virtually impossible option in crowded homes starved of space.

Actively engaged in last-mile Covid-19 tracking and management in slums, Malarvizhi from the ActionAid Association elaborates on the problem: "Five to six people live in houses that are less than 350 square feet. Even if one person tests positive for Covid-19, it could spread very quickly."

Since most are employed in the informal sector, they are outside the social security net to tide over the crisis. "The government needs to prioritise vaccinating them. Testing, tracing and quarantining should also be the focus. For this to happen, Covid Care Centres need to be set up close to the slums. The government has now reduced testing in these areas. This should change,” she says.

The Indonesian model

Early this year, Indonesia decided to first vaccinate its young working-age population in the 18-59 age group before the senior citizens. This strategy was in contrast to the rest of the world where vulnerable elderly sections of the population were the first in line.

In the wake of the vaccine shortage in India, many experts now advocate following the Indonesian model. The rationale is this: young working adults are more active, social and travel more. Once they are vaccinated, the community transmission of the virus could be reduced and potentially trigger herd immunity.