India To Launch Home Based COVID Vaccine For Bedridden, Disabled

The Indian Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is all set to launch home-based COVID-19 vaccination services for those who are bedridden and severely disabled. The Centre has ordered all district nodal officers to create a list of those people who cannot access COVID-19 vaccination centers due to their physical or mental disabilities.

This initiative is a further step undertaken by the government to smoothen the process of COVID-19 vaccination for the elderly as well as the disabled. Earlier, the MOHFW organised the Near- To Home COVID Vaccination Centres in May 2021 to ensure that the registration process, as well as access to the COVID-19 vaccine, was equitable. Till September 22, over 16.13 crore vaccine doses were administered through this scheme.

Home based vaccination for the bedridden across the nation comes after the Maharashtra government began a pilot project to provide vaccines at the homes of people above 75, immobile, bedridden or severely disabled in the last week of July in Mumbai. The Maharashtra government had repeatedly appealed to the Centre to permit them to begin door-to-door vaccination. Though they did not receive an affirmation from the Centre, the Bombay High Court allowed them to introduce this initiative.

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Who Can Get Vaccines At Their Own Residences?

The Centre is now permitting home-based vaccination for the many citizens that could not access either the designated COVID-19 vaccination centres or the specially designed near to home centres. It was difficult for the elderly living on their own, the immobile, the bedridden, or those with disabilities to get their vaccines even at the near home centres.

Door-to-door vaccination for this category that the Maharashtra state officials appealed for was earlier turned down by the Centre.

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How Can They Get COVID Vaccines At Home?

District nodal officers appointed for the smooth functioning of the Near Home Centres (NHCVCs) will be responsible for maintaining the list as well as creating mobile vaccination teams. Every state already has specific teams for the vaccination drives within community center halls, and other sites that are a part of the NHCVCs.

Lists of the bedridden will be collated for every catchment area and then sent to the officers for planning the logistics of the same. The officers also have to ensure that there is no wastage of allotted vaccines in these sessions.

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