Delhi, Haryana citizens booking COVID-19 vaccine slots in Meerut amid shortage

Picture credit: Reuters

Meerut: People living in Delhi and Haryana have been booking slots to get their second dose of COVID-19 in Meerut, according to district immunisation Officer Praveen Gautam.

"People from Delhi and Haryana are booking slots in Meerut for the second dose of Covaxin here because of shortage (in those places).  Around 70 per cent slots of Covaxin’s second dose for the 18-44 age group have been booked by people from Delhi. We`re discouraging them," Gautam told ANI.

According to officials, beneficiaries created ruckus at vaccination centres where they were turned away as they did not have Aadhar cards or other registered documents to prove they were residents of Uttar Pradesh, as per state guidelines.

Citing a shortage of vaccine doses, Delhi has suspended their immunisation drives for people in the age group of 18-44.

Meanwhile, the district magistrate also pointed out that there are instructions for beneficiaries in the age group of 18 to 44 years, who are not guardians, not to book slots in the Guardian Special Group. 

"Such beneficiaries will not be vaccinated even after registration," he added. 

Parents are required to produce the aadhar cards of their children at these special vaccination centres, said Gautam, adding that 300 beneficiaries are being vaccinated daily in the district for parents of children up to 12 years. 

"While arriving for vaccination, in each case, you have to present the Aadhar Card or Date of Birth Certificate of your child aged below 12 years issued by Municipal Corporation. Without date of birth certificate, ID and four digit OTP message, no vaccination will be done," the district magistrate said.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had on May 23 announced that before a possible third wave of COVID-19 pandemic preparations were underway to vaccinate parents of all children below 10 years of age against the coronavirus disease.

The chief minister had informed that the State aims to protect children aged below 10 years by getting their parents/kin vaccinated on priority.

The Centre had begun a countrywide COVID inoculation drive for people aged between 18-44 years on May 1.