The COVID-19 vaccination programme kick-started at the urban PHC in Chinna Waltair, here on Saturday. Immediately after Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered the nation-wide address, A. Sai Lakshmi, an ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activist) worker, was administered the first Covishield vaccine, followed by Principal of Andhra Medical College and District Special COVID Officer P.V. Sudhakar receiving it.
Interacting with The Hindu , both Ms. Sai Lakshmi and Dr. Sudhakar said that they were fine and had no adverse reaction.
“For me it was dream come true. We have been waiting for the vaccine, ever since the outbreak of the pandemic. It is good that the Union government has selected the frontline health workers, as the first recipient of the vaccine. Almost for last one year, we have risked out lives serving the affected people and now this has given us more confidence to do better,” said Ms. Sai Lakshmi.
38,000 health workers
Addressing the media after the inaugural programme, District Collector V. Vinay Chand informed the media that about 38,840 frontline health workers from the district have been identified and listed in the Co-WIN app and they will be receiving the first dose of the vaccine.
About 32 session sites or vaccine centres have been identified in the district and the first phase will be completed by January 20.
“Thereafter, for the second and third phase, we will scale up the sessions sites to 221, and the target is 100 persons per site, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.,” said the District Collector.
He said that the district has received about 45,500 vaccines and of which 1,1,70 have been give to the Eastern Naval Command, as per the Union Government’s direction.
Mr. Vinay Chand also said that all the session sites have been equipped with ice line refrigerators to store the vaccines and the required infrastructure such as power, back-up generators and three-room architecture is in place.
In the second phase, which is scheduled to begin from January 25, GVMC frontline sanitation staff, police, staff from Panchayat Raj and Revenue will be administered. About one lakh persons have been identified for the second phase.
The District Collector said that people below 18 years of age, pregnant and lactating women, people with history of allergic reactions, active COVID patients, people with COVID symptoms and people with hypertension will not be administered vaccine.
The district has already nominated 15 constituency officers for each of the 5 urban and 10 rural assembly constituencies to oversee the progress and a four-member AEFI (Adverse effect following immunisation) committee has been constituted to address cases that have adverse effects post immunisation.
Each session site is tagged to a CHC or a hospital to handle adverse effect cases, said Mr. Vinay Chand.
After the first dose of 0.5 ml the next dose will be given in the next 28 days. The effects could be mild such as fever and minor pain at the place of pricking of the needle, which may be there for 48 hours, said Dr. Sudhakar.
But he cautioned that after the first dose, one need not neglect the COVID protocols such as wearing a mask, maintaining social distancing and sanitising the hands at regular intervals. One should strictly follow the protocols till the second dose is administered, he said. Mr. Vinay Chand said that adequate security including CC TV cover is being provided at all session sites.
