Tirupati: Coronavirus vaccination preparedness gains pace

Tirupati: The run up for the Covid vaccination drive has gathered further impetus with two vaccines getting approvals for emergency use. Amid the expectations of the vaccination process to roll out around Sankranti festival, the district administration has stepped in to complete all arrangements on war-footing.

Joint Collector (Development) V Veerabrahmam and DM&HO Dr M Penchalaiah have been reviewing the arrangements from time to time. The JC has directed the officials to complete all pending works as per checklist by Thursday evening. Accordingly, the session sites (vaccination centres) for Phases – I, II and III are to be readied and five session officers are to be allotted to each site.

As per the Covid vaccination guidelines, each session site should have one woman police, data entry operator, vaccinator (ANM)/staff nurse and one Anganwadi worker. The vaccine beneficiaries should be sent messages indicating the date and time of vaccination for them one day in advance.

Speaking to The Hans India, District Immunisation Officer (DIO) Dr C Hanumantha Rao said that the staff allotment for each centre has been completed. The police, ANM/Anganwadi worker and other staff under each PHC limits will form the vaccinating team at that centre. A dry run will be organised at all 145 session sites on January 8 to check the preparedness of all vaccinating officers. The same team will participate in the real vaccination process also. All the teams were formed and asked to place indents for necessary logistics.

The construction of a platform to set up the walk-in cooler at Ruia Hospital where the main storage centre for the district will be located has been completed and the cooler may reach at any time. The DIO made it clear that for the first phase of vaccination around 35,000 doses are required which can be stored at the Ice Lined Refrigerators (ILRs) even if the walk-in cooler comes late.

Already three ILRs have reached Chittoor in which 60,000 doses can be stored with 20000 doses in each one of them. Also, 184 vaccine carriers, around 3.70 lakh syringes which include 5 ml, 0.5 ml and 0.1 ml, 19 cold boxes, 960 ice packs and other material has reached the district vaccine store in Chittoor.

Efforts were also on to create awareness about vaccination to the beneficiaries and to allay their fears. Though it was expected that Covid vaccination may take place after the Pulse Polio programme scheduled to be held on January 17, the entire official machinery is prepared to take up the task even if it has to be held before that date.