HYDERABAD: The much-awaited Covid-19
vaccine will be rolled out in Telangana around January 15. Around 2.7
lakh health workers, including doctors, nurses, ward boys and technicians, have been identified and enrolled in the CoWin software as they will be the first to be inoculated.
Disclosing this to TOI, Dr G Srinivasa Rao, state director of public health, said, “Vaccination will start by mid-January for sure. This will be similar to the electoral process. Beneficiaries will be registered and allotted to vaccination session sites (
vaccination centres). They have to come with an ID card except Aadhar, get it verified and get the shot. Following this they will be sent an SMS and will be issued a vaccination host certificate.”
Most of the vaccination sites will be in the government health facilities, starting from primary health centres (PHC) to teaching hospitals, while a few private facilities will also be selected for the purpose. Three levels of training at the state, district and primary health centre (PHC) level will be completed by December 22.
The Centre will be allocating, 1.6 crore doses (two doses for 80 lakh people) to the state. Although it is not clear which vaccine will be used, sources said it would most likely be from a manufacturer based in Hyderabad. The doses will arrive in the next 20 to 25 days.
After healthcare workers, the other three categories on the priority list are frontline workers of different government departments, people above 50 years of age and people below 50 years of age having comorbidities.
“The vaccine can be given to people over 15 years of age. So, the fourth category will be the age group between 15 and 50 with comorbidities. Enrolment for people in these categories will be taken up shortly,” an official told TOI.