The Delhi Government has started a campaign 'Jahan Vote, Wahan Vaccination' campaign in which polling booths will be turned into vaccination centres in the national Capital to ensure vaccination to people above 45 years.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, on Monday, said that under this campaign, booth-level officers (BLOs) will visit all the households to book slots for people in the 45 plus age group and encourage citizens above 45 years to get vaccinated at local polling booths.
There are 57 lakh people in Delhi in the 45 plus age group and of them, 27 lakh have been given the first dose of the coronavirus vaccine while 30 lakh are yet to get the jab, he said. The Government will similarly carry this out for those in the 18-44 years age category as well, he added.
Addressing the media, Kejriwal said "We have noticed that people in the 45 plus age group are not coming to vaccination centres set up by the Delhi Government and vaccines are not being utilised," he said.
“There are around 280 wards in Delhi. The BLOs will visit households in 72 wards from Tuesday to identify and send eligible persons for vaccination at the polling booths,” he said.
“Today is the first day where this initiative is set to begin in 70 wards. The BLO will go to every house and will ask about those above the age of 45 years. They will also have the voters list so they will get to know who is above the age of 45 years,” he said.
Besides BLO, a team consisting of three people will go to every house and will allot them slots to get vaccinated, he said, adding that e-rickshaws will be arranged to carry citizens to polling booths. The purpose of this campaign is to vaccinate all those above 45 years of age within four weeks,” he said.
After covering all the 280 wards in four weeks, the government will be able to say that all those eligible (45 years and above) have received the vaccines,” Kejriwal said. He said a similar drive will be conducted again for second dose vaccination after three months. "When we will get vaccines for the 18-44 age group in the required quantity, we will start this programme for them too,” he added.