Hyderabad, Jan 16 (UNI) The Covid-19 vaccination drive began in Telangana on Saturday with healthcare workers, who were at the forefront of the fight against the pandemic, getting the first shots.
The vaccination drive was inaugurated at the Gandhi hospital in the presence of Union Minister of state for Home Affairs G Kishan Reddy and State Health Minister Etala Rajendra here after Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off the first phase of the pan-India roll out of the vaccination against coronavirus via video conferencing.
Etala Rajendra took the first vaccination shot at the state-run Gandhi Hospital to dispel any doubts about its safety.
The Minister said the health department has made all necessary arrangements for the drive and 'although we are confident there will not be any adverse reactions, we have all emergency services in place.'
Telangana Governor Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan witnessed the first phase of COVID-19 vaccination drive at NIMS hospital.
The Serum Institute of India, Pune-manufactured Covishield and Hyderabad based Bharat Biotech-developed Covaxin are the two vaccines accorded emergency use authorisation by the central drug regulator.
Both vaccines are safe and there will be a gap of 28-days between two doses.
Minister Municipal Administration K T RamaRao also participated in the vaccination programme at Thilak Nagar UPHC , Umberpet constituency in the city.
As many as 4000 health workers will get the first dose of the vaccine in Telangana today on the first day of the drive.
The vaccination began at 139 centres across the state.
So far, 3.15 lakh healthcare workers in both government and private hospitals across the state have registered as beneficiaries on the CoWIN app, we will administer the vaccine to roughly 30 beneficiaries at each centre on the first day and then gradually increase the number, according to Director of Public Health Dr G Srinivasa Rao.
As many as 3.84 lakh Covid-19 vaccine doses have reached Telangana so far and of these, more than 50,000 doses were shifted to the 139 centres including 13 centres in Hyderabad alone.
The state has earmarked 57 hospitals including those in district headquarters and teaching hospitals for treatment of vaccine beneficiaries developing adverse reactions following immunization.
According to health department officials,the first few days of the vaccination drive began today, and will comprise staff from sanitation wings of the healthcare facilities.
Each medical centre was equipped with intensive care units, oxygen cylinders and other emergency medicines required to attend patients developing adverse events following immunization.
Beneficiaries developing adverse reactions after going home can dial '104' information, the officials said.
The vaccine beneficiary has to spend half an hour in the observation room at the designated vaccination centre after getting inoculated and in case of severe reactions, the medical staff would shift the person to a major healthcare centre in an ambulance, the officials said.
The health status of beneficiaries will be monitored for seven days after the vaccine is administered, the health officials added.
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