A total of 75 volunteers have received the first dose of Covishield, one of the COVID-19 vaccine candidates, as part of the ongoing trial and will receive the second dose a month later, Health Minister C. Vijayabaskar said on Friday.
“We have successfully completed the first round of the Oxford University’s Covishield vaccine trial involving 75 volunteers. They have to receive two doses. We have completed the first dose, and will administer the second dose after a month. Following this, they will be under observation for six months,” he told mediapersons during the sidelines of the inauguration of a gym for health department staff on the Directorate of Medical and Rural Health Services (DMS) campus, Teynampet.
Approval to take up the trial of another vaccine candidate, COVAXIN, has been obtained and the trial will commence, he said. “Though vaccine trials are under way, the vaccine that we have right now against COVID-19 is wearing masks. We should adhere to norms during the festive season,” he said.
Health Secretary J. Radhakrishnan made a presentation on COVID-19 prevention and control strategies in Tamil Nadu during a session of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) grouping, he said.
He spoke on ‘COVID-19 situation analysis in the Indian State Tamil Nadu: learnings and the way forward’ during a session on post-pandemic cooperation, making cities more sustainable, attractive, smart and safe as part of the International Municipal BRICS Forum.
Gym for staff
After launching compulsory health screening for healthcare workers, the department has set up a gym for its staff on the DMS campus at a cost of ₹20 lakh.
The Minister said they were already conducting a “Fit Health Worker” campaign as the frontline workers of the department were working round-the-clock with a lot of stress for the last six months. They were being screened for hypertension, diabetes, oral cancer, breast cancer and cervical cancer. During COVID-19, it is important to stay healthy, treat co-morbidities and prevent NCDs (non-communicable diseases), he said.
“This is a campaign against NCDs. All staffers are being registered and are being compulsorily screened. This will help in early detection and enable them to lead a healthy life,” he added.
Along with the municipal administration, the department has taken up work to set up health parks at the panchayat-union level, he added. Health Secretary J. Radhakrishnan was present at the inauguration.
