The poll officials enlisted for the upcoming Assembly elections will be vaccinated against Covid-19 from Tuesday, state health department officials said.

In Calcutta, the poll officials will be inoculated at four government medical colleges. This will be in addition to the vaccination of police personnel that is already underway as part of inoculation of frontline workers.

The Central Election Commission has enlisted around 6 lakh poll officials across the state.

“Vaccination of poll officials will begin on Tuesday. Four teaching hospitals — RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, Calcutta Medical College and Hospital, Calcutta National Medical College and Hospital and NRS Medical College and Hospital — will inoculate poll personnel,” said a health department official. “Personnel of central forces who have arrived in the state will be vaccinated at SSKM Hospital.”

“We have been given the target of vaccinating 250 poll officials on Tuesday,” said an official at the Calcutta Medical College and Hospital. “We will run four sites on our campus from Tuesday. One of the sites will be dedicated to poll officials.”

The RG Kar Medical College and Hospital has been set the same target, too, said an official of the hospital.

The state government has also requested the election commission to vaccinate operators of private buses and cars that are requisitioned for poll duty.

A senior official of the state government said the government felt the need to vaccinate the drivers and helpers of buses and cars since they would come in close contact with poll officials and security personnel.

If drivers and helpers contract Covid-19, they can in turn pass on the virus to poll officials and security personnel.

“We have requested the election commission to vaccinate the drivers and helpers of private buses and cars that are requisitioned for election duty,” said a senior state government official. “The number of vehicles requisitioned for poll duty is significant. The drivers and helpers in the vehicles will be sharing the same space with poll officials for quite some time. So they need to be vaccinated,” the official said.

According to a rough estimate, between 45,000 and 50,000 buses and cars will be required to conduct the Assembly polls.

All district administrations are sending the names of poll officials to the election commission so they are vaccinated, said an official of the Hooghly district administration. “Doctors are visiting poll personnel during their training sessions, which are being held now. The doctors are explaining to the personnel the positives of getting vaccinated,” the official said.

The number of polling stations in the state will see a sharp rise this time because of the election commission’s order that any booth with more than 1,500 voters must be split into two.