Institutions with 100-plus employees can organise vaccination sessions for their employees aged above 45 years

New Delhi: The Union Health Ministry has allowed workplaces — in both public and private sector — to organise vaccination sessions for their employees from Apr. 11, in an effort to ramp up the exercise amid rising infections.

However, only employees aged 45 years and above can get vaccinated and outsiders, including eligible family members, can’t be vaccinated at such session at workplaces. The move is aimed at making the vaccination drive more “citizen-centric” as a substantial proportion of the population aged 45 years and above are working in the organised sector of the economy.

The Central Government has announced in its new notification on Apr. 7 that it will allow COVID-19 vaccination sessions at workplaces that are having 100 eligible and willing beneficiaries, from Sunday. The Union Health Ministry, in a circular, has directed all States and Union Territories to make arrangements to launch the initiative in consultation with employers and management. 

The sessions will still require beneficiaries to register on the CoWin portal prior to vaccination, and the workplace management will designate one of its senior staff members to be the Nodal Officer for coordinating with the District Health Authorities or Private COVID-19 Vaccination Centres (CVCs) and support vaccination activities.

 The announcement comes at a time when over 43 lakh COVID-19 vaccine doses were administered in a span of 24 hours, the highest single-day coverage till now, taking the total doses given in the country so far to 8,31,10,926, according to the Union Health Ministry.

On Apr. 7, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said that India has surpassed the United States to become the fastest vaccinating country in the world.

Meanwhile, India on April 7 recorded the biggest-ever daily surge with over 1.15 lakh new infections being reported in a span of 24 hours, pushing the nationwide COVID-19 tally to 1,28,01,785. This makes India now the 4th-worst hit country in terms of active cases.