Complete vaccination in 3 to 4 months by involving whole of community: Panel to Karnataka govt

As the threat of the third wave of the Covid pandemic is looming large over the state either in October or November, Dr Devi Shetty headed task force on preparation for the third-wave recommended the Karnataka government on Saturday to complete the vaccination in the next three to four months by involving the whole of the community.

It also advised the government to consider the private sector for large-scale free vaccination to prevent mass congregations outside hospitals that may become super spreader events.

The experts recommended the government not restrict the vaccine administration for a fixed duration in large hospitals with adequate human resources. "They (hospitals) may be permitted to carry out vaccination drives nearly round-the-clock," the panel recommended. It also advised the companies and factories to vaccinate employees and their families.

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Preventing piling up of vaccination stock at some of the hospitals, the committee recommended that no hospital should stock unused vaccines beyond 10 days. "The unused vaccine must be diverted to alternate vaccination centres by government or non-governmental medical bodies," the committee said in its report.

The committee recommended the following Vaccination sites for the government to consider to enhance number and reach of vaccination:

-- All medical facilities including doctors’ clinics, especially paediatricians', having cold chain, to be vaccination sites

-- Schools, anganwadis, wedding halls, gram panchayat offices etc especially to be included in rural areas

-- Mobile vaccination buses

-- Jumbo vaccination centres in cities

-- Consider special strategies (eg near-to-home) for difficult-to-reach populations

-- Encourage NGOs to provide refreshment at the vaccination sites

-- Prioritisation of vaccination in poor health infrastructure districts like Chamarajanagar, Yadagiri , Koppala, Haveri, Chitradurga, Chikballapur, Kolar, Bengaluru Rural