CHENNAI: Due to confusion over the COVID-19 vaccination norms for those between the ages of 18-44, many from the general public are turning up at vaccination centres of the Chennai corporation. However, the civic body is presently vaccinating only essential workers in this age group.
Earlier this week, the city corporation had announced that it would vaccinate select people in the following categories in the 18-44 age group on priority: newspaper distributors, milk suppliers, roadside vendors, staff in grocery stores and pharmacies, auto, car and bus drivers, electricity board staff, local body staff, government staff, construction workers, those working in essential industries, teachers in schools and colleges, transport department staff, those working in ships and airlines.
Shyam Narayanan P (28), an electrical engineer and resident of Adyar, said that he went to the vaccination site since there was no clarity on the norms.
"I read that essential workers are to be vaccinated on priority. So I thought others in the age group could also go and they would be vaccinated based on availability after vaccinating essential workers but it was not the case. I was turned away as soon as I went," he said.
Corporation officials said that the general public (not belonging to the above mentioned categories) in this age group would do well to wait and not turn up at vaccination centres now.
"If those who don't belong to these specific categories come for vaccination, we will have to send them back. Our instructions are to cover only those in the categories mentioned," said a Corporation sanitary officer.
"We are presently focusing on delivery executives from various e-commerce services. Others from these categories may also join the programme," he added.
A corporation official at ward 133 in the Teynampet zone told The New Indian Express that sometimes those who misunderstood these norms fight with staff at vaccination centres.
"We tell them clearly that we cannot vaccinate anyone else except those under listed categories but they say we are cheating them because they read in the papers that vaccination has opened for everyone between 18-44," he said.
A zonal health officer said that each zone is given about 3000 vaccines at present which will be restocked every 1-2 days.