Final decision on vaccination sites in city on Thursday

With schools reopening, civic officials are identifying alternate sites that meet the requirements

A final decision on the number of vaccination sites in the city will be taken on Thursday at a high-level meeting with civic and health officials.

The 144 primary health centres (PHCs) of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) are being converted into vaccination sites. However, with a total of 1.68 lakh health workers, including ASHA and anganwadi workers, identified as beneficiaries in the first phase of vaccinations against COVID-19, more centres are needed.

As per the Central government’s guidelines, each vaccination centre can administer the vaccine to not more than a 100 beneficiaries.

“Earlier, the government had directed us to identify schools and anganwadis for vaccination sites, with three rooms exclusively to be used for this purpose. However, with schools starting, this may be difficult. The government has also directed us to identify alternate sites,” said Vijayendra, Chief Health Officer (Public Health), BBMP.

The civic body claims to have the capacity to store 25 lakh vaccines. In all, over 200 cold storage facilities have been identified from where vaccines will be sent to various sites. There will be a total of 330 deep freezers and ice-lined refrigerators, of which the BBMP has 44 ice-lined refrigerators, each with a capacity to store 50,000 vaccines, sources said.

Of 1.68 lakh health workers identified, 1.46 lakh are from 4,300 private hospitals and 22,801 from 292 government hospitals. Around 1,700 vaccinators have been identified.

Mr. Vijayendra added that only those who have been identified by the hospital administrations will be vaccinated.

In case of any person showing adverse reaction to the vaccine, ambulances will be parked near the vaccination sites and first aid kits will be available. Hospitals have been identified in a 100-metre radius of the vaccination sites, he added.