District Collector I. Samuel Ananda Kumar said that a dry run for the COVID-19 vaccination drive is being conducted in the district ahead of the actual roll-out of the vaccine.
The Collector inspected the arrangements on Saturday here at SKBM Municipal High School at Agraharam and the Nursing College on the premises of Fever Hospital at Amravati Road, and vaccination centres at Vedanta Hospital, Mangalagiri Road and the Guntur Government Hospital.
He inspected the arrangements made for a cold chain management, registration room, vaccination rooms and observation rooms at the vaccination centres. He observed the AEFI management room at GGH and enquired the medical services that will be provided in case of an adverse reaction to the vaccine, and enquired with doctors about the necessary medical equipment available.
Mr. Ananda Kumar said that the vaccination and dry run are being conducted in three areas in Guntur city.
The dry run will take place at the Fever Hospital premises on Amravati Road, which is affiliated to Guntur Medical College, at the Vedanta Hospital on Mangalagiri Road in the private hospital section, and at the vaccination centres set up at the SKBM Municipal High School in Yeti Agraharam in the outreach site section. He said 25 people would be vaccinated at each vaccination centre, and added that their details have already been registered.
Those who come for vaccination will be sent to the centre one by one after their details are confirmed online, and then sent to the vaccination room. Vaccination will take place there, and those who have been vaccinated will be kept under observation for half an hour in the adjoining Adverse Event Following Immunization (AEFI) room.
If there is no reaction for half an hour after taking the vaccine, they will be sent home immediately as per the instructions of the doctor there. They will be provided with the details to contact for medical attention as soon as any adverse symptoms appear after going home. If there is a slight reaction during the observation to those who have been vaccinated, the doctors there will treat them.
If there is an adverse reaction, they will be immediately moved to the AEFI management centre. The AEFI management centre will be set up at GGH, where a cardiologist, neurologist, pulmonologist and anesthesiologist will be available. They will immediately alert the AEFI management centre at the vaccination centre to provide details of those who have had a severe reaction and move those who have had a reaction to the management centre.
An ambulance has been stationed at the vaccination centre. Similarly, the AEFI management centres set up at the time of the original vaccination will be examined in the dry run.
Senior officials from the district administration and health department and paramedics were present.