Covid19 Vaccination sessions can be organized at Workplace both public and private

With the extension of COVID-19 vaccination to all citizens aged 45 years or more from 1st April 2021, the Central Government has taken a crucial step to extend the cover of vaccination while easing the exercise for this segment of citizens, a substantial proportion of whom are in the organized sector of the economy and are involved in formal occupation in offices (government and private) or manufacturing and services etc.

The Health Ministry has written to all States and UTs that COVID-19 vaccination sessions may now be organized at workplaces (both public & private) which are having about 100 eligible and willing beneficiaries by tagging these workplaces with an existing COVID Vaccination Center (CVC). To support the States in this initiative, guidelines have been prepared and the same have conveyed by the Union Health Secretary to the States and UTs. These guidelines will support the State and District Programme Managers with the requisite information and guide them on organizing vaccination sessions at such workplaces (both public & private). Such work place vaccination centres may be launched across States/UTs from 11th April 2021.

States have been further advised to initiate due consultations with private/public sector employers and management to prepare for launch of workplace vaccination.

The Union Government of India in constant consultation with State Governments/UT administration continues consistently make efforts to ensure that the vaccination drive is more pragmatic and also more acceptable and purposeful to the beneficiaries.

Guidance on COVID-19 Vaccination at Work Places (Government & Private)

1. Background:

As per the recommendation of National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for COVID-19 (NEGVAC), the prioritized group of beneficiaries for COVID-19 vaccination has been expanded to cover general population aged 45 years and above from 1st April 2021.
A substantial proportion of population aged between 45-59 years (in some cases up to 65 years) are in the organized sector of the economy. They are involved in formal occupation in offices (government and private), in manufacturing and services etc.
COVID-19 vaccination sessions may be organized at Work Places which are having about 100 eligible and willing beneficiaries (to facilitate optimal utilization of vaccine dosage and reduce wastage) for COVID-19 vaccination. Organizing vaccination at Work Place will not only be convenient to the staff at Work Places but also help to avoid travel and hence reducing the risk of exposure to COVID-19 virus.

2. Identification of Work Places for COVID-19 vaccination:

The District Task Force (DTF) chaired by District Magistrate and Urban Task Force (UTF) chaired by Municipal Commissioner will identify such government and private Work Places after due deliberations with relevant employers and / or Head of offices.
Work Place management will designate one of their senior staff to work as “Nodal Officer” to coordinate with district health authorities/ private COVID Vaccination Centres (CVCs) and support vaccination activities.
The Nodal Officer will oversee and facilitate all aspects of vaccination at Work Place CVC like registration of beneficiaries, availability of physical and IT infrastructure and oversight to vaccination etc.

3. Identification of Eligible and Willing Beneficiaries at Work Places

Only employees of Work Place aged 45 years or more will be eligible for vaccination at Work Place, no outsiders including eligible family members will be allowed for vaccination at “CVC at Work Place”.
Beneficiaries must be registered in Co-WIN portal prior to vaccination. CVC Nodal Officer will ensure registration of all targeted beneficiaries and facility of on-the spot registration will also be available but only to employees of the work place.

4. Registration of Work Place as CVC in Co-WIN

Once identified, all such Work Place vaccination centres will be registered in the CoWIN portal as Government or Private COVID-19 Vaccination Centre (CVC) at Work Place.
The name of Work Place CVC should be recorded in Co-WIN as full name and not as abbreviation to have clarity.
DTF / UTF will ensure verification of availability of three rooms as waiting, vaccination and observation rooms at Work Place CVC (refer annexure 1). These rooms should be part of the permanent structure of the Work Place or proper and stable structure like hangars should be erected. Temporary shamiyana / tent like structure should not be used.
Once verified, DIO will ensure registration of Work Place CVC in Co-WIN portal

5. Linkage of Work Place CVC with Public and Private CVCs

Every CVC in government Work Place will be tagged to an existing and nearest CVC in the government medical facility.
Every CVC in private Work Place will be tagged to an existing and nearest CVC in the private medical facility.
The designated government and private CVC to whom the Work Place CVC has been tagged will be responsible for deployment of vaccination team at Work Place CVCs.
The in charge of the designated government and private CVC to whom the Work Place CVC has been tagged will plan session at the Work Place CVC. For optimal utilization of resources, vaccination session will be planned at Work Place CVC once at least 50 beneficiaries get registered for vaccination.
In charges of government or private CVCs with which the Work Place CVCs are tagged for COVID-19 vaccination will be responsible to provide vaccine and ensure reporting in Co-WIN from these Work Place CVCs
The schedule of vaccination session can be made up to 15 days in advance and intimated to the Work Places so that maximum attendance is ensured on the day of vaccination. In most of the work places vaccination schedule may, however, be completed in less than 15 days.

6. Linkage of Work Place CVC with cold chain points

All government and private CVCs are already linked to some cold chain point for receiving vaccine. These CVCs will continue to use same mechanism to receive vaccine needed for vaccination at tagged Work Place CVC.

7. Engaging health infrastructure and health care workers of Work Place CVC

Some of the Work Places may have health infrastructure in form of hospitals, health clinics, nursing centers etc. This infrastructure may be utilized to set-up vaccination site in case sufficient space for waiting, vaccination and observation rooms are available (refer annexure 1).
The health care workers of this health infrastructure of the Work Place CVCs (such as doctors, nurses and other staff) may be deployed for the COVID-19 vaccination activities at Work Places as vaccination team members.
In-charges of government or private CVCs with which the Work Place CVCs are tagged for COVID-19 vaccination will be responsible to ensure training of these health care staff prior to deployment.
The Work Place CVCs staff engaged in COVID-19 vaccination activities will follow the same SOPs for vaccination and reporting including management and reporting of AEFIs.

8. Deployment of Vaccination team at Work Place CVC

District health authorities will normally deploy the vaccination team at government Work Places. Private CVC will deploy the vaccination team at private Work Places
One fully trained vaccination team will be assigned to vaccinate 100 beneficiaries at Work Place CVC. Additional teams shall be deployed in case work load is more than 100 beneficiaries and if sufficient space for vaccination is available (refer annexure 1).
The management of Work Place will be responsible for arranging adequate rooms / space for vaccination (waiting room, vaccination room and observation room)
Each team will consist of:
- Team leader (necessarily a doctor),
- Vaccinator (authorized to give injections),
- Vaccination Officer-1 to work as verifier to work on CoWIN and
- Vaccination officers-2 & 3 for crowd management and AEFI observation Role of individual team members are defined as refer annexure 2.

9. AEFI management:

All Work Place CVC will have a medical officer as supervisor / team leader.
All Work Place CVC will have anaphylaxis kit for management of any adverse event and will be linked to the nearest Health Facility (AEFI Management Centre) in case of referral for medical management post vaccination that may be required. The travel time from Work Place CVC to the AEFIs management center should be less than one hour.
A basic life support (BLS) ambulance must mandatorily be deployed at the Work Place CVC and should be utilized for shifting beneficiaries to the linked AEFI management center if required.

10. Vaccination at Work Place CVC:

One type of vaccine will be provided at such sessions that are conducted at the Work Places. This is necessary to avoid mixing of vaccine types in 1st and 2nd dose of a beneficiary.
Beneficiaries at the Work Place who have already received one dose of a vaccine different from the one being administered at the Work Place CVC shall not be vaccinated at session in the Work Place CVC. They are expected to get the second dose of the same vaccine at an appropriate COVID vaccination centre. However, those who have received same vaccine as first dose may be provided second dose at the Work Place CVC.
The full list of beneficiaries, as available in Co-WIN, will be visible to all verifiers and vaccinators, option of on-the-spot registration will also be available.
Verification will be done by Verifier (Vaccination Officer-1) preferably using Aadhar.
In case Aadhar authentication is not possible for any reason, the Verifier will verify the identity and eligibility of the beneficiary from the photo ID Card indicated by the beneficiary at the time of registration.
Apart from Aadhar, other IDs approved by the MoHFW are: 1. EPIC, 2. Passport, 3. Driving license, 4. PAN Card, 5. Smart Card issued by RGI under NPR, 6. Pension Document with Photograph.
If the identity and eligibility of a beneficiary is established upon verification, the beneficiary will be vaccinated and his/her vaccination status will be updated, else the beneficiary will not be vaccinated.
All Vaccination must be recorded in real time through the Co-WIN Vaccinator Module on the same day.
The digital vaccination certificate of the beneficiary will be generated through Co-WIN, Work Place CVC Nodal Person will be responsible for providing a printed copy of the vaccination certificate, both after 1^st and 2^nd doses, to the beneficiary, on site after vaccination.
Operational guidelines and standard operating procedure for COVID-19 vaccination should be referred for detailed planning and operationalization. These are available at https://www.mohfw.gov.in/pdf/COVID19VaccineOG111Chapter16.pdf
https://www.mohfw.gov.in/pdf/GuidancedocCOWIN2.pdf

11. Monitoring of vaccination at Work Place CVCs

In charges of government or private CVCs with which the Work Place CVCs are tagged for COVID-19 vaccination will review site preparedness and other preparatory activities prior to vaccination.
District and Urban task forces will plan random monitoring at the Work Place CVCs to ensure:
- Adherence to standard operating procedures for vaccination including verification of beneficiaries to ensure only eligible beneficiaries are vaccinated
- Training status of human resources
- AEFI management

12. Financial Guidelines for Vaccination at Work Places:

COVID 19 vaccination at government Work Place organized by district health authorities will be free of cost.
COVID 19 vaccination organized by private CVC would be on payment basis and will be at same rate as of vaccination at private health facility.
- Service charge subject to a ceiling of INR 100 /- per person per dose,
- Vaccine cost INR 150/- per person per dose.
- Hence, the financial ceiling of the total amount recoverable by private health facility is INR 250/- per person per dose.
The Private health facility that will be organizing vaccination at the private sector Work Place will deposit cost of vaccines upfront in the bank account designated by the National Health Authority. The hospitals will provide proof of payments to the DIO in-charge of the concerned district. The payment gateway on the NHA portal will be used by the private CVC for this purpose.

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