Government-run Covid vaccination centres were given a nod on Monday for on-site or walk-in registration for people in the age group of 18-44. This approval stands for the “few beneficiaries” when the appointee beneficiaries do not turn up on the day of vaccination and vaccinating those walk-ins would minimize vaccine wastage.

Online mode of appointment for vaccination was designed to avoid over-crowding at the vaccination centres, but this new step for on-site registration is basically meant to avoid wastage of vaccines at any centre. The Union Health Ministry emphasized that the on-site feature would be based on the decision of the respective State/UT government and all the centres must exercise extreme care to avoid over-crowding.

PM Modi emphasizing on the importance of vaccines urged the states to reduce wastage of vaccines. He also said that this must be monitored in both urban and rural areas. It may be noted that the facility has been provided only to government-run vaccination centres.

It was being observed that despite the fact that people register online for vaccination, vaccines were being wasted as some appointees were not able to honour the appointment. Enabling the government centres to vaccinate the walk-ins in the age group of 18-44 will certainly ensure that no vaccine is wasted.

(media reports)