Who Should Be Prioritized For COVID-19 Vaccination?

The COVID-19 pandemic is an unprecedented world event. Hence, everyone is learning to deal with it on the go. The treatment for the disease was developed by trial and error on the patients. It is only now, with more than a year of the pandemic behind us that a structured diagnosis for COVID-19 has emerged. Even then with new strains appearing there is a constant need for the medical fraternity to stay on their toes and be flexible. Similarly, the vaccine for COVID-19 was developed only recently. Moreover, even though countries across the world have made a herculean effort in trying to push them out for the masses, there is still a shortage. Hence, we must prioritize who gets the vaccine first. In this article, we will expound on this matter further.

Who Should Be Vaccinated First For COVID-19?

Since the pandemic is still a relatively new event, there is no well chalked out plan for how to distribute the vaccine among citizens. The most common plan of action looks to vaccinate citizens who fall in the high-risk group in terms of being affected by COVID-19. According to this plan, the most high-risk people are senior citizens, i.e., people above the age of 60. Moreover, if they have health risks such as diabetes, heart conditions, lung conditions it makes them even more vulnerable. Hence in most cases, they are given the most priority. Other experts have pointed to another method of distributing the vaccine. This plan looks to vaccinate those who run the highest risk of catching the virus and then spreading it to others. In a different sense, this is also an effective way to distribute the vaccine under limited supply.

Who Is Given Priority For COVID-19 Vaccination in India?

Following are the groups who are given priority for COVID_vaccination in order of high priority to low priority:

1. Health Care Workers: Doctors, nurses and hospital staff are by far most at risk of contracting the disease. Moreover, their skillset is also the most valuable during this time. Hence, when the vaccination drive started this group was provided with free vaccination from government and private hospitals as recommended by the National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for COVID-19 (NEGVAC). India has more than 1 crore health workers, hence, this group itself makes a sizable chunk.
2. Frontline Workers and Municipal Workers: This included army personnel, those in the air force, police, revenue officials, home guard, disaster management municipal workers. Workers who are part of the state government, ministries of defence, home, housing, urban affairs were also included in this group.
3. Population Above 50 Years of Age: This category was subdivided into above sixty and those between fifty and sixty years of age. As discussed before, since senior citizens were considered to be high risk, they were given priority for vaccination.
4. Populations Living in High-Risk Zones and People With Comorbidity: Next are people who were identified to be living in high-risk zones by the NEGVAC and those who have comorbidities that put them in the high-risk zone as well.
5. Rest of the Citizens: Since May 1st, registration for vaccination for those above the age of 18 has been opened. However, due to the shortage of vaccines, in most cases, the centres are still applying this structure of prioritization to vaccinate those who come to them.

Must Read: Where Can You Register For the COVID-19 Vaccine?

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Take Away

India has opted for a self-registration model. This means that you can register yourself for the vaccine directly from your phone. You can use the Cowin Portal or the Aarogya Setu App to first register yourself. You will need to verify your mobile number with an OTP. Next, enter your personal details and a Photo ID. Once this initial registration is done you can go on to schedule a vaccination appointment. You can find a centre near you by searching with your pin or district. If you have other members in your family who need to get vaccinated. You can register them under the same mobile number. You can register up to 4 members under a single mobile number.

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Disclaimer: This article is issued in the general public interest and meant for general information purposes only. Readers are advised not to rely on the contents of the article as conclusive in nature and should research further or consult an expert in this regard.