People in the age group of 45 to 59 years who have co-morbidities should produce a certificate from a registered doctor to get vaccinated, Dr Amar Singh Thakur, the State Immunization Officer in Chhattisgarh, said on Sunday.
Addressing the media, the doctor issuing the certificate should be registered with the Medical Council of India. The hard copy of the certificate will be needed so that it can be uploaded.
He said the comorbidities are mainly to do with heart failure with hospital admission in the past one year and those with post cardiac transplant/left ventricular assist device (LVDA), significant left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVEF<40%) or moderate or severe valvular heart diseases besides congenital heart diseases with severe PAH or Idiopathic PAH.
The others are coronary Artery Diseases with past CABG/PTCA/MI and hypertension/diabetes on treatment or with Angina and hypertension/diabetes on treatment, CT/MRI documented stroke and hypertension/diabetes on treatment, pulmonary artery hypertension and hypertension/diabetes on treatment, Dr Thakur said.
Also included in the list are diabetes (more than 10 years or with complications) and hypertension on treatment, kidney/liver/hematopoietic stem cell transplant: recipient/on wait-list and end stage kidney diseases on haemodialysis.
He said those with prolonged use of oral corticosteroids/immunosuppressant medications, decompensated cirrhosis, severe respiratory disease with hospitalization in the last two years, lymphoma/leukaemia/myeloma (cancer), diagnosis of any solid cancer on or after July 1 or currently under any cancer therapy are fall in the category.