Hubballi: Dharwad district administration in Karnataka has come up with a new program of vaccinating people above 60 years of age with COVID-19 booster dose at their home itself. If a person is unable to visit the vaccination centre, he/she can contact Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Corporation (HDMC) control room and the health staff will visit their place to inoculate them and it is the first of its kind, The New Indian Express reported.
Due the third wave, elderly people, suffering from age-related health problems are not able to visit their nearby vaccination centres as they fear contracting the dreaded virus and are thus reluctant to step out of their homes to get a booster shot. Also, a few of them even missed taking the second dose, therefore the Dharwad district administration has launched this new drive.
Dharwad district has been recording four-digit COVID-19 infections daily and the positivity rate stands around 19 percent. Compared to rural regions, Hubballi-Dharwad twin cities are witnessing more number of cases and the positivity is also considerably high in the city limits which is a big concern for all.
Therefore many residents, especially elders are not ready to expose themselves to crowded areas. Anil M Desai, a businessman said he recently contacted HDMC health officials to enquire about the booster dose for his mother Arati Desai. The health officials informed him about the new initiative of vaccinating elder people at their homes, The New Indian Express reports.
"As the infection rate is very high during this peak of COVID-19 wave, elder people fear to go to vaccination centre and to stand in big queues to get a booster dose. It is very helpful for the senior citizens to get vaccinated at their houses," he thanked the administration.
Dharwad Deputy Commissioner Nitesh Patil said recently they have begin to inoculate senior citizens at their homes. It will be helpful for those who are not able to go to the vaccination centres and the bedridden. Health workers will be visiting their houses to vaccinate them.
"They have already started in the twin cities, those who wish to make use of the service can contact HDMC control room. In a day or two, the service will launch in all urban local bodies including Annigeri, Kalaghatagi and other towns. People can contact their respective urban body's control room," he added
