Covid: Post-vaccination help for recipients -Bengal health department will provide doctor's number and also deploy an influencer at each vaccination site

Bengal health department will provide doctor's number and also deploy an influencer at each vaccination site to boost the morale

A vaccine dry run in Salt Lake: File picture

Subhajoy Roy   |   TT   |   Calcutta   |    12.01.21 :  Recipients of Covid-19 vaccines will be provided the contact number of a doctor or some other health-care worker who can be reached for post-vaccination support, an official of the state health department has said.

The department has also decided to deploy an influencer at each vaccination site to boost the morale of the recipients. “The role of the influencers will gain in importance once people not associated with health care start getting doses,” an official of the department said. 

The department has identified 941 cold chain points across the state to store the doses and 47 vans to transport them, the official said.

“The team at each vaccination site has to ensure that recipients are given the contact number of a doctor, an auxiliary nurse and midwifery (ANM) or an accredited social health activist (ASHA). Recipients can contact them if any post-vaccination support is required,” the official said. 

All recipients will have to wait for 30 minutes at the vaccination site after getting the jab. The vaccination team will check for adverse effects during the period.

“If any recipient develops an unusual reaction after leaving the vaccination centre, he or she can contact the person whose number will be given,” the official said.

Metro reported on Friday that health department officials had told Calcutta Municipal Corporation representatives that recipients of Covid-19 vaccines should get their shots at the site nearest to the address they would provide. This will ensure that a recipient can return to the vaccination site quickly if he or she develops some adverse effects after reaching home.

Sources in the health department said the role of influencers would be crucial in vaccinating people not associated with health care. Influencers are honourary health workers or accredited social health activists who run public health campaigns and surveys, and work for prevention of vector-borne diseases. 

“The influencers motivated Covid-19 suspects to undergo tests during the early days of the pandemic. People know them. Their presence at vaccination sites will boost the morale of the recipients,” said an official.

Those registered for the vaccination will get text messages almost at every stage of the process, the official said. A potential recipient will get the first message on confirmation of registration. The Centre has created a digital platform — CoWin — where all potential recipients have to register for vaccination. 

The second message will mention the date, time and venue of vaccination and the third, which will be sent after the first jab is administered, will mention the date and time of the second dose.