With Phase 3 of the COVID-19 vaccinations slowly gaining steam in the state of Maharashtra, many have recommended administering vaccines at homes, particularly for elders who are unable to make it outside.
With this in mind, the Maharashtra COVID-19 Task Force sought requisite permissions from the Central Government to administer vaccine shots at home for seniors residing at old-age homes or people that are bed-ridden and are suffering from severe health conditions.
However, the Centre’s vaccination guidelines haven’t made any provisions to vaccinate people at home, though experts feel this idea would be logical.
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“People in old-age homes or care homes are at high risk and vulnerable population. For instance, in Australia, the authorities started vaccinating the population at old-age homes first. This set of the population is vulnerable. They may not be able to make the trip to a vaccination centre and are usually dependent on their caregivers at the old age homes to make the arrangements,” Dr Rahul Pandit, Director-Critical Care at Fortis Hospitals said while speaking to India Today TV.
“This set of the population may also not have a family, may have disabilities, which could compound their difficulty in getting a vaccine. These high mortality and high vulnerability groups are dependent on their caregivers who may themselves not be vaccinated,” Dr Pandit added.
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Several citizens have spoken to media outlets while also writing to their local officials about offering vaccinations at home for the vulnerable population. Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has recommended the use of dialysis centres for vaccinations across Mumbai.
“As the vaccination centres in Mumbai are relatively crowded, walk-ins are not advisable for dialysis patients as they have low immunity and limited energy to stand in a queue for a long time,” he said.
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