Threat of third COVID-19 wave looms: AIIMS nurses union urges Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal to provide vaccines for healthcare workers' family members

AIIMS Nurses Union wrote, "We request you to kindly take immediate measures to provide vaccines for the family members of HCWs (belongs to the age group of 18-45 years) at the earliest on a high priority basis."

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New Delhi: AIIMS Nurses Union has requested Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to provide COVID-19 vaccines for healthcare workers' family members, belonging to the age group 18 to 45 years, on a priority basis. 

In a letter to the Delhi CM, nurses union's president Harish Kumar Kajla and general secretary Fameer CK said that though most of the AIIMS healthcare workers have received both the doses of Covaxin, most of their family members aged 18 to 45 years are facing difficulties in finding a slot, PTI reported. 

"Many frontliners have expressed their concerns about the delay in vaccinating their near ones as poor vaccination may end up in exacerbation of infection as the threat of the third wave of virus crisis looms ahead," AIIMS Nurses Union said in the letter.

Further, they added that this is a matter of concern as almost all healthcare workers stay with their families.

"We request you to kindly take immediate measures to provide vaccines for the family members of HCWs (belongs to the age group of 18-45 years) at the earliest on a high priority basis," the letter read. 

It is to be noted that the vaccination for the 18-44 age category commenced on May 1. The COVID-19 inoculation drive began for healthcare workers on January 16.

Meanwhile, AAP MLA Atishi on Saturday (June 12) while releasing the national capital’s daily vaccination figures said that vaccinating 30 per cent of the population is a big achievement but they have a long way to go. A total of 59,90,485 people have received anti-Covid jabs in Delhi, out of which more than 14 lakh have got both doses, she added. 

Atishi informed that for the 18-44 age group, a total of 1,00,000 doses of vaccines are available including 33,000 Covaxin and 67,000 Covishield jabs. For the 45+ age group, 9,000 Covaxin jabs and 4,96,000 Covishield doses are available in the national capital. 

(With inputs from agencies)