Making a case for Home Vaccination for bed-ridden persons, elderly and special cases like Iddat

Ladies in ‘Iddat’ – a Muslim practice of widows being confined to their homes for a period of 4 months and 10 days immediately after the demise of their husbands make a valid case for the ones in need for home vaccination among the special cases.

By Editor UT May 24, 2021, 21:42 IST

Bombay High Court, while recently hearing a petition on facilitating home vaccination for the elderly, made the following statement:

“You (Additional Solicitor General) say you cannot go to the house since patients are bed-ridden and it may be difficult to manage complication should it arise…if they cannot move out and go to the COVID Vaccination Centre (CVC) to get vaccinated, they are left to the mercy of the disease.”

On the basis of this statement by a rationally thinking judge and once we as rational human beings begin to think logically, individuals who are bed-ridden, senior citizens and special cases, like Muslim ladies in ‘Iddat’ are the most sensitive when it comes to low immunity against any disease – and this, is a Pandemic.

The government and health department are also not in favour of sample collection from homes when it comes to the elderly (private hospitals and testing centres across Rajasthan are doing it at five times the cost for a walk in RTPCR sample collection).

When we talk about a section of individuals making a case for vaccination at home, one special case that stands out is Muslim ladies who are observing the ‘Iddat’ period. As per religious practice in Muslims, a lady needs to stay confined to her home (only ladies and immediate blood relatives can visit her) for a period of 4 months and 10 days immediately after the demise of her husband. This is a long period considering the risk of exposure and protection from visits is not practical as she needs to be attended all the time. Attendant and those meeting her pose a threat to her health. She cannot be taken to a hospital or anywhere outside of the 4 walls of her home.

Come to think of it, at one end, the government instructions on lockdown are very specific – elderly should not move out of their homes. This means that the government agrees that they are the most prone to COVID. On the other hand, when the individuals who are bed-ridden and elderly make a clear case for permitting home sample collection, it is prohibited.

Similar considerations apply for COVID Vaccination. The elderly and bed-ridden are the most prone to infections and the quality (sic) of control at private and government medical centres is known to all. The lack of control and indiscipline has made testing and vaccination centres fertile grounds for spreading the COVID infection.

Accordingly, even senior citizens and those who are bed-ridden CANNOT should NOT BE ALLOWED to visit testing and vaccination centers anyway, considering the risk associated with crowds at these places.

Recently, the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) has announced that home vaccination will begin for people qualifying under defined criteria. Leading corporate brands have begun to tap private health care providers to establish vaccination camps on site for their employees.

Rationale says that atleast senior citizens, bed-ridden individuals, ladies observing Iddat, and other special cases should be permitted to book appointments for home vaccination without any delay. This should not be left to deliberation or awaiting good supply of vaccines. There should be a percentage of allotted vaccine doses from the daily doses being administered – for senior citizens, bed-ridden individuals and special cases like ladies observing “Iddat”. Period.