Chittoor gears up for Covid vaccination drive

Tirupati: With the much awaited Covid vaccine becoming a reality in the next 2-3 months, the governments at the Centre and in the State have been engaged in preparing the modalities for the safe storage of vaccine and identifying the need-based list of frontline warriors to take the first-shot. As of now, the indications reveal that in the second half of February the healthcare workers will get their vaccine.

Following the government guidelines, the officials in the districts have geared up to administer the vaccine. Committees were formed at mandal and town level also. Municipal commissioners lead these committees at town/city level while Tahsildars to chair mandal level committees.

In Chittoor district, the DM&HO Dr M Penchalaiah has conducted a one-day training camp for vaccine cold chain handlers on the e-VIN app (electronic vaccine intelligence network). Using the cold chain method vaccine will be safeguarded and administered to the healthcare workers. He said normally vaccines will be supplied on population basis whereas now Covid vaccine will be distributed on requirement basis using e-VIN app from district vaccine centre to PHCs area hospitals and other places.

Speaking to The Hans India, District Immunisation Officer Dr C Hanumantha Rao said the alarming system in e-VIN app will indicate any interruptions in the vaccine cold chain maintenance to the cold chain handlers. In the first phase, it will be given to 31,476 healthcare workers in the district. There are 11,22,853 people above the age of 50 years who may get the dose in the next phase.

This list includes all doctors, nursing and para medical staff, ANMs, ASHA and Anganwadi workers, all private hospital staff and all those involved in the vaccination process. To store the vaccine doses a big walk-in cooler with 20x13x9 dimensions will be made available in Tirupati from where it will be distributed to all PHCs, area hospitals and other centres where vaccination will be done.

In Chittoor Ice Lined Refrigerators (ILRs) will be there which are routine vaccine coolers. Vaccination to the healthcare workers will be done on every Wednesday and Saturday after they are launched. As per the guidelines, at every vaccine administering centre there will be separate entry and exit points, waiting hall, vaccination room and observation room.

There will be 135 cold chain points in the district along with 319 ILRs and 288 freezers. Dr Hanumantha Rao said after vaccination, everyone will be asked to wait in the observation room for some time to check for complications if any. When the vaccination is given for the general public the services of house surgeons, final year nursing staff and others may also be utilised.