Health Minister K. Sudhakar on Friday said Karnataka is expected to receive 13.9 lakh vials of COVID-19 vaccine in a day or two.
“The good news for Karnataka from the Union Health Ministry is that tomorrow or the day after we will probably be receiving 13.90 lakh vials of vaccine,” Dr. Sudhakar said.
Speaking to reporters at Aster CMI hospital in Bengaluru, one of the eight health vaccine sites where the second dry run of COVID-19 vaccination was conducted in the city, he said in the first phase the vaccination will be administered to healthcare workers.
It will be followed by those with comorbidities, those above 50 years, and those in other departments like Police and Revenue, who are also frontline workers.
Sources said Karnataka will receive Covishield vaccine manufactured by Serum Institute of India.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is all set to speak to Chief Ministers of all States at 4 p.m. on Monday on vaccine distribution.
Karnataka is likely to receive the vaccine in two consignments by air — one from Pune to Bengaluru and another from Pune to Belagavi.
The stock will be stored at Bengaluru and Belagavi cold chain centres and from there will be distributed to regional vaccine stores in districts by road through refrigerated and insulated trucks.
The Bengaluru cold chain centre has a capacity of storing nearly 40 lakh doses (each vial has 10 doses), sources said.
Dr. Sudhakar said that State has registered 6.3 lakh healthcare professionals till date. “We have requested those who are left out, maybe in some medical or dental colleges, to register even now,” he said.
Dr. Sudhakar on Thursday said that the Centre has provided 24 lakh syringes to the State.
“We have 10 walk-in coolers, 4 walk-in freezers, 3,201 ice-lined refrigerators (ILR), 3,039 deep freezers, 3,312 cold boxes, 46,591 vaccine carriers, and 2,25,749 ice packs,” he told reporters.
