The first consignment of COVID-19 vaccines arrived at the Health Directorate on Wednesday ahead of the roll out of the nation-wide immunisation drive on Saturday.
The first consignment of 1,750 vials consisting of 17,500 doses of Covishield was received and was being stored in a cold chain facility at the Directorate of Health. These vaccines would be administered in Puducherry and Karaikal while Mahe would be supplied from Kozhikode in Kerala and Yanam from Kakinada.
M. Murugan, Medical Officer in-charge of immunisation, said as per Government of India guidelines, the COVID-19 vaccines would be given to healthcare beneficiaries at seven designated launch session sites. These centres are Indira Gandhi Government General Hospital and Post Graduate Institute, Rajiv Gandhi Government Women and Children’s Hospital, IGMCRI and CHC in Karikalampakkam in Puducherry and the General Hospitals in Karaikal and Mahe.
Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy will launch the vaccination effort at 9 a.m. on Saturday at the Rajiv Gandhi Women and Children’s Hospital.
Post launch, vaccination will be conducted on Monday, Tuesday, Friday and Saturday next week.
S. Mohan Kumar, Director of Health, said the department would begin administering the first dose to all healthcare personnel in the first phase. “We are expecting the arrival of the next consignment well before the 28th day of administering the first shot when the second dose has to be given to the participants”.
As part of preparation for the vaccination exercise to be implemented in Puducherry, Karaikal, Mahe and Yanam, the Union Territory had completed two dry runs of mock trials to test the logistics, including the cold chain infrastructure.
145 facilities
An estimated 145 vaccination facilities were being established across the Union Territory with personnel trained to handle immunisation at these centres. Each facility would have a registration booth, waiting area, a vaccination and an observation room post-vaccination to monitor volunteers for any adverse effect. Each volunteer taking the vaccine would have to get another shot after 28 days of the first dose.
Puducherry will be vaccinating about 14,000 healthcare personnel in the first phase of immunisation. In subsequent phases, vaccine would be administered to frontline workers and those above 50 years of age and persons with underlying morbidity conditions such as diabetes or hypertension.