The third phase of the vaccination campaign against COVID-19 got off to a start here on Monday with the district administration aiming to administer the Covishield vaccine to nearly four-and-a-half lakh senior citizens.
In the first and second phases, healthcare workers and frontline workers had been vaccinated respectively. Nearly 90 per cent of healthcare workers and about 50 per cent of the frontline workers had been covered since the roll-out.
The third phase is meant for persons aged 60 years and above (with or without comorbidities) and the people in the age group of 45 years and 59 with co-morbidities (certification from doctor is mandatory).
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Deputy Commissioner Rohini Sindhuri launched the third phase of vaccination in Mysuru at the District Hospital on KRS Road. Ramakrishna of Hebbal was the first person to get vaccinated there.
The drive was launched at Apollo BGS Hospitals by industrialist R. Guru who got the first dose of the jab.
Many senior citizens had gathered at the hospital to register and receive their first dose. They include litterateur Arvind Malagatti, Sankalp Group Chairman Jagadeesh Babu, and retired professors and others.
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Danseuse Vasundhara Doraswamy was the first to receive the vaccine at the JSS Hospital after the launch by Pramoda Devi Wadiyar of the erstwhile Mysuru royal family. Chidananda Swami of Sri Hosamutt and litterateur Aryambha Pattabhi were the second and third recipients of the vaccine.
Before the vaccine was administered, the health check-up of senior citizens was done and they were given the first dose only after they were declared fit.
Following glitches in the CoWIN2.0 portal, not all those who had turned up at the district hospital here got the vaccine. However, it was announced later that registration could also be done offline at the vaccination sites because of the glitch, and those eligible can get their names registered.
Ms. Sindhuri, after the launch, said nearly 4.5 lakh senior citizens had been identified for the vaccination in the third phase. All of them will receive the vaccine, she said, adding that more vaccination sites will come up since the number of recipients are more in the category compared to the healthcare workers and the frontline workers.
The vaccination was also launched at Trauma Care Centre where the Mysore Medical College and Research Institute Director C.P. Nanjaraj inaugurated the drive.
At the District Hospital in Mysuru, 56 senior citizens and 7 persons with co-morbidities got the shot on day one of the drive on Monday.
The highest number of senior citizens who got the vaccine in the district was at the JSS Hospital here where 80 got the shots followed by Apollo BGS Hospitals here with 73.
The third phase of the vaccination was carried out at 10 sites in the district. In total, 294 persons, including 281 senior citizens and 13 persons with co-morbidities, got vaccinated on day one in the district.
The vaccination drive in Kodagu was launched by former Speaker and MLA K.G. Bopaiah in Madikeri.