U.T. gears up for COVID-19 immunisation drive

Health workers will be covered first and later, frontline staff and elderly

Preparations on: Health officials receiving the first consignment of COVID-19 vaccines from the Central government.

The Union Territory is all set to roll out COVID-19 vaccination across the four regions of Puducherry, Karaikal, Mahe and Yanam on Saturday.

In the first phase, the immunisation drive will cover health workers and, subsequently, frontline workers and patients aged over 50 and those with co-morbidities such as diabetes and hypertension.

The Health Department had, on Wednesday, received its first consignment of 1,750 vials, consisting of 17,500 doses of vaccines.

In Puducherry, Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy will launch the immunisation programme at the Rajiv Gandhi Government Women and Children Hospital at 10 a.m.

While Puducherry will despatch vaccines to Karaikal, Mahe will be served by Kozhikode and Yanam by Kakinada. A second dose will be administered to volunteers after 28 days.

In the first phase of the roll-out, vaccines will be given at the Indira Gandhi Government General Hospital and Post Graduate Institute, the Rajiv Gandhi Government Women and Children’s Hospital, IGMCRI, and the CHC in Karikalampakkam, in Puducherry, and the general hospitals in Karaikal and Mahe.

Vaccines will be administered on Monday, Tuesday, Friday and Saturday next week. A press note from Raj Nivas said vaccines would be given to an estimated 19,000 health workers in Puducherry, 1,600 in Karaikal, 897 in Mahe and 323 in Yanam.