After a long gap, the State government will resume administration of the first dose of Covishield vaccine for people aged 45 and above across the State on Monday and continue the drive up to Wednesday.
With the increase in the supply of doses and deferment of the second dose for many as per revised ICMR guidelines, the Health Department has announced that it will administer the first dose for persons belonging to all sections of people engaged in public activity.
Some of them include employees of banks, transport organisations, educational institutions, press, temples, private shops and establishments, function halls, government offices and others.
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Beneficiaries should carry their office identity cards, along with the government-issued identity documents to the vaccine centres.
Health, Medical and Family Welfare Principal Secretary Anil Kumar Singhal, in a press conference on Sunday, said the State had 11.58 lakh Covishield doses, which would be used for the first dose.
“There are 1.55 lakh Covaxin doses that will be used for the second dose, and no first dose of the vaccine is available in the State,” he said.
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By June 15, the State would have 28.15 lakh vaccine doses, which include the ones bought by the State, apart from the vials sent by Centre, he added.
‘Not an Ayurvedic drug’
Referring to the “herbal preparation” of Anandaiah at Krishnapatnam in Nellore district, Mr. Singhal said, “It doesn’t qualify as an Ayurveda medicine. It is a traditional local medicine ( natu mandu ), which does not require any permission.”
However, the preparation was still being tested and reports were awaited, he added.
Mr. Singhal said that the COVID-19 infections were showing a declining trend.
He said the fever surveys were going on in the districts, and those identified were being tested immediately.