Amid the ordeal that is booking of COVID-19 vaccination slots, the Uttar Pradesh Government has decided to rope in 1.3 lakh common service centres across districts. This step has been initiated with special reference to the people in rural parts of the state, who are not able to schedule their appointments in wake of rapid bookings. The common service centres are expected to ease the registration procedure for starters and eventually, provide the vaccination facility as well.

Vaccination in rural UP to be rolled out at war-footing soon

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The state of Uttar Pradesh has prescribed mandatory pre-booking of slots for all adults up to 44 years of age, to ensure a glitch-free inoculation drive. However, in wake of vaccine shortage and a large pool of phase 3 beneficiaries (18 to 44 year age group), booking a vaccination slot has become increasingly difficult. Consequently, the state has set up an additional provision to simplify and ease the registration protocol for all in rural UP.

"To increase the pace of vaccination in rural areas, we have decided that common service centres will be roped in to help people register on the CoWIN app. Each centre will provide this facility and also that of vaccination in the near future. The work will be done for free and nobody is to charge for helping someone with the work.", a government spokesman said.

The Additional Chief Secretary of Information further informed that the state will initiate an expansive vaccination programme in rural areas, at war footing, similar to that of testing. He also provided a statistical achievement of the inoculation target; about 1.16 crore people have received their first vaccine shot while 31.6 lakh people have got the second jab too. In absolute numbers, about 1,49,97,832 jabs of the vaccine have been administered as yet.

State makes arrangements to procure more vaccines

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The Uttar Pradesh administration has also buckled up to scout for required vaccine doses to fulfil its inoculation target. In a bid to procure more vials, the state has made crucial alterations to its global tender conditions. As per reports, companies like Pfizer and Moderna will now be allowed to bid for the vaccination tenders.

The state has reduced the global tender earnest money deposit to just half of the earlier ₹16 crores. Changes have also been included in the temperature regulation and storage conditions of the life-saving shot. As earlier specified, the COVID jab needs to be stored and transported at a specific controlled temperature to maintain its efficacy.

The temperature range for storage has been moderated from 2°Cand 8°C to -20°C and -80°C. Manufacturers will have to ferry their vaccines to the government warehouses and ensure cold storage arrangement as very low temperatures.