NEW DELHI: Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday launched a special campaign, “Jahan Vote, Wahan Vaccination”, which seeks to inoculate people at polling booths.
Delhi government is carrying out door-to-door surveys to identify individuals above 45 years who haven’t got vaccinated yet.
These people will be urged to visit their designated polling stations for the jab.
The state government aims to vaccinate all individuals above 45 years within four weeks, subject to the availability of doses.
Of the 57 lakh people above 45 in Delhi, 27 lakh have been vaccinated so far.
A similar campaign will be run for the 18-44 age group when the government gets sufficient vaccines.
Extensive vaccination coverage is considered crucial to warding off the next Covid-19 wave.
At a press conference, Kejriwal expressed the hope that there would not be any shortage of vaccines for people above 45.
“The vaccination centres that we have opened up remain mostly empty, and very few people (45+) turn up because of which the vaccines remain un-administered.
Without waiting for the people to come to us, we have to go to them.
Under this scheme, we will go to the houses of the people,” the chief minister said.
He said the polling centres were usually located close to residential areas.
“The scheme has been initiated in the 70 civic wards of Delhi from today.
Every week, this campaign will cover 70 wards.” The government has trained booth-level officers who, for the next two days, will go to every house and carry out the survey.
“Even people whose names aren’t on the voters’ list will be covered.
People who haven’t got the jab will be given a slot at the closest polling booth,” Kejriwal said.
The government has asked BLOs to encourage people to come forward to get the jabs.
“The BLOs will try to convince people that vaccination is the only effective way of fighting coronavirus,” the CM said.
A team of civil defence volunteers is also being readied for this purpose.
Delhi government will ply special e-rickshaws for the vaccines beneficiaries.
Depending on the success of the scheme, it may be repeated after 2-3 months.
“The second dose will be administered at the polling booths in a similar manner,” Kejriwal said.
The CM appealed to everyone to cooperate with the BLOs in the survey.
“This is the only way that we can save our Delhi from the coronavirus,” he reiterated.
Meanwhile, AAP MLA Atishi said that 40,000 doses of Covaxin had arrived for the 18-44 age group on Sunday and these would be used to administer the second dose only.
Delhi currently has 27 days’ stock remaining for 45+ age group, which includes 5.6 lakh doses of Covishield and 21,350 of Covaxin.
More than 56.6 lakh individuals have got the jab in Delhi, but only 12.8 lakh have got both the doses.