Karnataka to resume vaccination of 18-44 age group from Saturday

The frontline warriors will be the first to receive the jabs followed by other eligible groups in the list

The state government will commence vaccination for 18-44 age group from Saturday. To begin with, frontline workers and priority group workers will be vaccinated in all the districts.

In a communication issued by Dr Arundhati Chandrasekhar, Director, National Health Mission (Karnataka) to the BBMP chief commissioner and to all deputy commissioners of the districts, officials have been directed to identify the Covid frontline workers and priority groups as announced by the state government and take up vaccination.

According to the communication, the state government intends to start vaccination to these priority groups from May 22. “While the Covid frontline workers in this age group will be vaccinated first, subsequently the priority groups will be inoculated,” the communication read. The district officials have been told to keep the list of beneficiaries ready and every beneficiary must submit an eligibility certificate issued by the nodal officer.

The decision came eight days after the government ordered the suspension of the vaccination drive for this group in the absence of adequate supply of vaccines.

"Vaccination for 18-44 years age group is being resumed from May 22 and state procured vaccines will be utilised to vaccinate the eligible beneficiaries," the order stated.

The state has identified corona frontline warriors who will be receiving the vaccines initially, it said.

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According to the order, deputy commissioners and the chief commissioner of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) will be in charge of the vaccination of this group in Bengaluru.

Nodal officers for each category will be nominated by the deputy commissioners in districts and chief commissioner of BBMP to facilitate Covid-19 vaccine Covishield.

They will also issue eligibility certificates of the category under which the beneficiaries will be vaccinated, the order stated.

According to the order, the mode of implementation will be workplace vaccination.

For those willing to get vaccinated should produce eligibility certificates for registration on Co-WIN portal.

The certificate can be any valid identity card approved by the Government of India, the order said.

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“The number of vaccination sites and vaccinations per day will be decided by the district authorities based on the availability of vaccines,” it said.

The state government also clarified that other priority groups will be vaccinated as per the list.

Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa had started the vaccination drive for people from 18 years to 45 years on May 1 symbolically, but suspended the drive on May 12.

Health Minister K Sudhakar said the state has so far received 1,22,20,510 vaccines and vaccinated 1,13,61,234 people.

Karnataka has placed an order for two crore Covishield and one crore Covaxin vaccines. It has also decided to float a global tender for two crore vaccines. The state has set a target to vaccinate the eligible population by the year-end.

(With PTI inputs)