Question : COVID Vaccinations to Prisoners

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government maintains data of the number of prisoners who have received their COVID-19 vaccination;

(b) if so, the details thereof, State/UT-wise, particularly in the State of Odisha;

(c) whether the Government proposes to formulate a strategy for complete inoculation of prisoners expeditiously considering the current prison population;

(d) if so, the details thereof including the timeline by when the inoculation process is likely to be completed;

(e) whether the Government has sent any advisory notifications to the States/UTs concerning the vaccination of prisoners; and

(f) if so, the details thereof?

ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
(SHRI MANSUKH MANDAVIYA)

(a) to (f) A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.



STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO LOK SABHA
STARRED QUESTION NO. 276* FOR 6TH AUGUST, 2021

(a) to (f) COVID-19 vaccination of prisoners is included & recorded under the vaccination of ‘Persons without Prescribed Identity Cards’ which includes nomads, prison inmates, inmates in Mental Health Institutions, citizens in Old Age Homes, road side beggars, people residing in rehabilitation centres/camps and any other identified eligible persons, aged 18 years or more, and not having any of the nine prescribed individual Photo ID Cards. The State-wise details on vaccination of prisoners as per the information available on Co-WIN is annexed.
Government of India has shared a Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) regarding ‘COVID-19 Vaccination of Persons without Prescribed Identity Cards through Co-WIN’ with all States/UTs in May 2021. This SOP is also available on the website of Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.
COVID-19 vaccination is an ongoing and dynamic process, which is being guided by National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for COVID-19 (NEGVAC) on the basis of concurrent scientific evidence. It is expected that eligible beneficiaries aged 18 years and above, including prisoners, will be vaccinated by December 2021.