Bhopal: First consignment of Covishield vaccines is likely to arrive in Madhya Pradesh on Wednesday as the state gears up for the vaccination drive all set to commence from January 16.
The vaccines arriving in Bhopal will be transported to eight districts—Bhopal, Sehore, Raisen, Rajgarh, Vidisha and three districts of Narmadapuram division—Hoshangabad, Betul and Harda. Around 4.16 lakh health care workers will be given shots in the first round of the first phase of vaccination. Later, frontline workers would be given the jab. In Bhopal, around 30,000 health workers will be given the shorts in the vaccination’s first phase which will begin on Saturday.
During the first phase, the first vaccine shot will be administered on January 16, 18, 20 and 23. Around 8000-10,000 health workers will be given shots per day. The second dose will be administered after 28 days.
The Covid vaccination drive will commence at 302 health centres, of which 80 are in the state capital. Entire preparations from cold chain management to logistics have been put in place to ensure administration of vaccines at 1,149 vaccination session sites, comprising district hospitals, community health centres, civil hospitals, primary health centres and selected private hospitals in the state. The capital city has 126 vaccination session sites. Hundred shots will be given at a vaccination session site.
Minister for medical education Vishwas Sarang inspected the vaccination centre at Gandhi Medical College (GMC) here on Monday. In Bhopal, vaccines will be supplied from JP Hospital (district hospital).
The minister while taking stock of the preparations said,” Bed, ambulance, and a team of doctors will be available at the vaccination sites. The display board would have the doctors’ contact number.
Expressing satisfaction over the arrangements, the mister said that each and every process from the cold chain development to end point has been reviewed. After 28 days, the second dose will be given and it will be effective after 15 days, the minister added.
Protection 14 days after 2nd shot is given
In a joint press conference hosted by the health ministry, ICMR and the Niti Aayog, officials also clarified that the two doses of the vaccine will be administered 28 days apart, and the vaccine is expected to offer protection 14 days after the second shot is given. The recipients will get a message one day before the inoculation.
