COVID-19 vaccine expected in 10 days, 14K frontline workers to get shot first: Puducherry CM

PUDUCHERRY: Stating that the 'Covishield' vaccine against COVID-19 is expected in another 10 days, Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy on Monday said once it is made available, 14,000 frontline health workers in the UT would be immunised in the first phase. Already, 13,000 of them were registered, he said at a virtual release.

Narayanasamy said that the Puducherry Health Department has done all preparatory work to administer the vaccine without delay. The health department has established 29 centres in Puducherry to give the vaccine, while there are eight in Karaikal, three in Mahe and one in Yanam. Each centre would administer 100 to 200 vaccines a day and vaccinating 14,000 health workers will be completed in one week, he said.

A COVID dry run was conducted in all the four regions of the Union Territory two days back. Besides, training was also given to doctors and nurses on administering vaccines. Cold chains to store the vaccine have also been set up in all the four regions of the Union territory, he said. In the second phase, frontline workers in other fields such as police, revenue, local administration, teachers and electricity department would be covered.

When the Union minister of state for Home Kishan Reddy visited Puducherry on Sunday, he announced that the vaccine will be provided to the people of the Union territory free of cost, said the CM. If the Centre provides the vaccine free of cost, it will be accepted. Alternatively the vaccine will be purchased with funds from state government, he said.

People above 50 years and those with comorbidities like hypertension and diabetes would be covered under the third phase. However, full details in this regard are yet to be received from the Centre, he said.

He said that first Covishield would be provided and subsequently Covaxin would be provided for restricted use. At present, the third phase of testing is going on. He said it would be advisable to keep the price of the vaccines in market just a little above the government rates, so that those who could afford it can pay to get the shot.