Coimbatore: The first batch of 500 doses of Covaxin reached the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital on Monday evening.
Administration of the vaccine will begin on Tuesday, hospital dean Dr P Kalidas said.
Health department officials were expecting administration of Covaxin, which arrived in the district on Saturday, to begin on Monday morning at CMCH. “We sent a staff to pick up the vials on Monday afternoon as we were busy coordinating administration of booster doses, which included checking if reminders were sent and keying in details of beneficiaries,” said Kalidas.
Beneficiaries will be able to choose between Covishield and Covaxin.
On Monday, 723 people got vaccinated, of which 110 were beneficiaries of second dose. The day also saw 136 cops take the vaccine, of which 132 were Central Reserve Police Force staff. Only 587 healthcare workers took the vaccine. The health department needs to vaccinate another 14,500 frontline workers with the first dose to even reach the 50% target. As many as 23,000 people have been vaccinated in the district so far.
Meanwhile, with the first batch of vaccines expiring as early as April, doctors in the private sector are urging the government to start opening it up to the public. “We believe that no vaccine must go waste,” said Dr C Palanivelu of Gem Hospitals. “While doctors in advanced countries like the UK and Canada are on a waitlist for their second dose, we have vaccines, but people are hesitating. At this point, registrations are not required. Whoever is willing, must be allowed to take the shot,” he said.
There are indications that the government will open it up to the public after February 22, said Indian Medical Association district secretary Rajesh Babu.
“That is why they have called all health workers, even if they have not registered in CoWin app, to get it at any PHC or GH,” he said.