Covid-19 Vaccine India Update: 1st shot of Coronavirus vaccine at SSKM hospital, here is how Bengal is gearing up

Bengal Covid-19 Vaccination Update: West Bengal is gearing up for the Covid vaccination drive as the first Consignment of around 10 lakh doses of Covishshield has reached the state capital Kolkata. On January 16, along with the rest of the parts of India, Covid vaccination will commence at the premier governemnt hospital in Kolkata S.S Kothari Mehta & Co. (SSKM), and subsequently in the Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute, according to an Indian Express report.

It has been learned that as many as 10,000 doctors, nurses, and Group-D staff of the SSKM hospital will be administered the Serum Institute of India’s version of Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine ‘Covishield’ in a phase-wise manner, the IE report says.

Private airline SpiceJet has said in a statement that 9,96,000 doses of Covishield have been transported to Kolkata from Pune. Kolkata airport authority tweeted that the consignment of Covid vaccine has reached the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport on January 12 and boxes were handed over to the state Health Department in a prompt manner.

The shipment of Covid vaccine was taken by a couple of insulated vans to the central vaccine store, located in the Bagbazar area of Kolkata. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee-headed state government has installed our walk-in freezers and five walk-in coolers so that vaccine can be stored at the required temperatures between 2 degrees Celsius and 8 degrees Celsius, the IE report says.

Health Secretary Narayan Swarup Nigam said that a team of people is working on the vaccine distribution process. While neighbourung districts of Kolkata have started receiving Covid vaccine from Tuesday itself and transportation for the rest of the districts commenced from today. Police escorted Covid vaccine to Howrah and Hooghly. Vaccine dose will reach all districts by January 15 including the three lakh doses for the north Bengal. Vaccine doses are being transported in freezer trucks to different cold chain points, the IE report says.

Around six lakh healthcare workers would be vaccinated in the first phase. Each district will have three vaccination centers. There will five to 10 vaccination booths at the Centres. A team will be deployed at the vaccination booths and the team will have a vaccinator, security personnel and the police, and National Cadet Corps (NCC) cadets, the IE report says.