The state health department on Monday expressed concern that some private healthcare units were administering Covid shots to people not yet eligible for them, in violation of the immunisation rule.

At a meeting with the units to plan vaccination of all people above 45 from April 1, health department officials said they were getting complaints from those who were given Covid shots despite not being eligible for them, that they were unable to collect vaccination certificates, people present at the discussions said.

Among the other issues discussed were increasing the pace of the immunisation campaign and following the standard operating procedure.

Shots for non-eligible

Health department officials told representatives of private healthcare institutes that many people had complained that they had received at least one dose of a Covid vaccine but were unable to get a certificate from the Co-Win portal. Officials found out that those people were non-eligible for the jabs.

“Vaccinate only those who are eligible. We are getting complaints from people who have been vaccinated out of turn and are now unable to get the certificate,” an official in the health department was quoted as saying by hospital representatives who were at the meeting.

Initially, healthcare and frontline workers were eligible for a Covid shot. Later, senior citizens and people aged between 45 and 59 with comorbidities were brought within the immunisation ambit.

From April 1, anyone above 45 can be vaccinated against Covid.

“To vaccinate people above 45, those born on or before January 1, 1977, should be considered,” a health department official told hospital officials at the meeting.

Department sources later said they had received information that a few sales representatives of pharmaceutical companies and personnel of insurance companies had been vaccinated out of turn.

“This is unethical. If this is not stopped, we’ll take strong action,” said a health department official.

Step up drive

Private healthcare units have been asked to vaccinate more people above 60, officials said.

“The Covid-19 mortality rate is higher among the aged. So we need to vaccinate them in more numbers. Also, those above 45 should be brought to the vaccination sites after April 1 in high numbers. This way we can try to prevent a fresh surge in cases in Bengal,” an official said.

The private hospitals were asked to approach residential complexes and offices in the vicinity and urge residents and employees meeting the eligibility criteria to get vaccinated.

A health department official said that with the existing supply of vaccine doses from the Centre, around five lakh people could be vaccinated in a day at the 5,000-odd centres in the state.

“We want more supply to further speed up vaccination,” the official said.

Follow SOP

At Monday’s meeting, private hospitals were told to strictly follow guidelines.

According to some of those who attended the meeting, health officials asked the healthcare units not to administer the jabs with pre-filled syringes because that could affect the vaccine’s efficacy. They were also asked to ensure biomedical waste is disposed of in designated bins.

Metro had earlier written that the state health department had told private healthcare institutes that many were not following the SOP.

Case count

The number of active Covid-19 cases in Bengal rose by 176 on Monday, to 5,152. The total crossed 5,000 for the first time since February 5. The state on Monday recorded 639 new infections and 462 recoveries.