Shillong, Nov 23 (UNI) Meghalaya government has identified 25,000 healthcare care

workers for providing assistance in the vaccination process of COVID-19 when the

vaccine is made available to the State, health officials said on Monday

The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare have sent a directive to the State

governments to identify health workers in advance.

Health officials said that the identified health care workers in the State, who would be

covered in the first phase of vaccination, are both from the public and private sector for

the smooth vaccination process.

"The whole exercise of vaccination will be taken up in a phase-wise manner. The

Union Government is yet to communicate the decision on the vaccine that is supposed

to be administered," the Health official said.

Recently, the State Task Force Meeting for COVID-19 Vaccine was held under the

chairmanship of Commissioner & Secretary Health & Family Welfare, Sampath Kumar

to take advance and preparatory steps to introduce the COVID-19 Vaccine in the state.

The meeting was also attended by the Mission Director NHM, Director Health Services

Research, representatives from Social Welfare Department, Urban Affairs Department,

United Nations Development Programme, World Health Organization, various religious

organizations, officials from the health department and NHM.

In the meeting all inputs and suggestions given by the various representatives were

noted. They expected that the roll out of COVID-19 Vaccine would be smooth and

successful.

"Considering the magnitude of the exercise, advance planning and preparation is

necessary. Hence, the task force had met to decide on the modalities of implementation,"

Health officials said.

The Union Government is yet to communicate the decision on the vaccine that is

supposed to be administered, the State health officials said.

As of now, the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine looks the most promising with 70- to 90

percent effectiveness against the virus without any serious side effects in the trial phase.

It is also one of the cost-effective vaccines.

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