Drive-in vaccinations in Ggm now for 45+

Gurugram: After Mumbai, now Gurugram has decided to start drive-in vaccinations for beneficiaries aged 45 and above from today (Friday) onwards as the district continues to battle an acute shortage of doses — much like most of the country.

The district administration in Gurugram announced on Thursday that the exercise will start on a trial basis at just one centre with a limited number of doses to be administered on a first-come-first-serve basis.

Officials here have decided that the drive-through vaccination will be set up at the DLF Star City Mall on MG Road, where 200 doses of Covishield will be made available for people aged 45 and above and scheduled for their second dose of the vaccine.

For this, the Gurugram District Administration has collaborated with the Park group of hospitals and is providing the vaccines free of cost.

With the implementation of this unique concept, Gurugram after Mumbai has become only the second metropolis where a person while sitting in her or his car can receive a jab in a controlled environment.

After receiving the jab, the beneficiary will be asked to wait inside his or her vehicle for half an hour. If there is an unease that is going to be felt, a medical professional there will provide hospitalisation to the person if required.

But with vaccines already running out in the city,

officials of the district administration have not disclosed whether this model of drive-in vaccinations will be scaled up further or not.

Regardless, the step evoked mixed reactions from the residents, most of whom wondered what the point of starting such a drive was if only 200 doses would be made available.

Gurugram on Thursday reported 2,159 new cases with 17 more deaths due to the virus. Active cases in the district are now at 30,352 and the death toll has reached 638.