CHANDIGARH: According to the estimates of the UT health department, 187 vaccinators will be engaged for
Covid-19 vaccination in the city. All these have been involved in the
routine immunisation programme. The UT health department might train more health workers and doctors for the same.
Sources said around 25,000 health-care workers shall be in the
priority group to be vaccinated in the city, while the data for the elderly and those with co-morbidities is yet to be generated.
“No such data has been collected. We will do so as per the directions from the central government,” said Arun Gupta, UT health secretary.
Under the national expert group on vaccine administration for Covid-19, committees have been made at the state, district and block level. The UT advisor is the chairperson of the steering committee and the secretary health is the chairperson of the state task force. Sources said the committee has been holding meeting over vaccine administration and preparedness in the city.
“At the moment, we have identified 187 potential vaccinators and if need be, we shall train other health workers too,” said Dr
Amandeep Kang, director of the UT health services.
She said, “Those who can be trained will include MBBS, BDS interns, pharmacists and nurses. We will also engage more as suggested by the chairperson of the steering committee.”
It is known that the incidence of diabetes, which is a known comorbidity, is one of the highest in the country. As a PGI study reported that every seventh resident in the city is diabetic.
“With less than 200 vaccinators, it seems impractical to give vaccine shot to over lakhs of such residents. Though the volunteers will be called in shifts, the vaccinators shall be distributed in selected sites for immunisation,” said an official in the health department.
At the PGI, the second dose of
Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine has been given to all the 149 participants enrolled in the third phase of the trial. They will be followed up till six months for safety and immunogenicity.