Workplace jabs account for significant share of city vaccination: Report

Among vaccines administered at workplaces, IT companies top the list, followed by consulting firms, automobiles, manufacturing and e-commerce

Employees of large corporate companies and their families account for a significant percentage of the Covid-19 vaccine doses administered in some of India’s biggest cities, according to an analysis by The Indian Express.

Describing it as a “crucial step”, the Centre allowed corporates to vaccinate at the workplace on April 7. Later, on May 22, the Centre announced that family members and dependents of the employees can also avail of the workplace vaccination service.

From April 7 until June 9, a total of 69,170 shots have been administered across several campuses of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS). Similarly, while Bengaluru-based Centum Electronics conducted 48,313 vaccinations; Infosys, Ernst & Young, and Maruti Suzuki conducted 28,493; 26,406 and 22,472 respectively, according to the IE report.

Mumbai, Bengaluru, Pune, Hyderabad, Gurgaon, Noida and Chennai’s workplaces have conducted approximately 20.36 lakh vaccinations, which account for more than 12 per cent of the total vaccinations carried out in the top seven metros of India.

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Among vaccination doses administered at workplaces, Information technology (IT) services companies are top of the list, followed by consulting firms, automobiles, manufacturing and e-commerce.

Accelerated inoculation at these firms is a successful move as it makes a notable contribution to the country’s GDP. However, as these big corporates depend upon the private sector -- which has a 25 per cent share of total vaccine doses -- it could lead to vaccine inequality, according to the publication’s analysis.

Most of India’s workforce belongs to unorganised sectors of the economy. Hence, it calls for the Centre to put down a similar policy for them in its updated vaccination policy in which the Centre will procure 75 per cent of the total vaccine doses.

The data shows that aggressive and targeted vaccination has given extra protection to the section of society which already has access to better healthcare and left out the vulnerable population. Even in the case of vaccine shortage, these big corporates can easily get their share from the allocated 25 per cent due to their financial position.

The analysis suggests that the government should put down a strategy targeting the vulnerable groups who lack access to good healthcare. Vaccinating them against Covid-19 can help in avoiding a potential third wave.