Punjab gears up for Covid vaccination of health care workers on Jan 16

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 12

Capt Amarinder Singh led Punjab government is fully geared up for vaccination of Health Care Workers (HCWs) at 110 sites on January 16. A total of 20,450 vials on Tuesday received as each vial has 10 doses of vaccines which is to be given to the beneficiary in two doses 28 days apart.

Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu said after a long wait, first batch of corona vaccine namely Covishield received by the EPI Officer of Health & Family Welfare Department, Punjab from Chandigarh Airport. He said that this Covishield vaccine was developed by Oxford University with AstraZeneca and now it is being manufactured in India by Serum Institute. Data of Phase III trials is available and it is allowed in emergency authorization use in UK.

The Minister said that 5 vaccination sites per district selected for the launch where 100 beneficiaries to be allocated at each site. He said that two session sites to be live-streamed/webcast with the Centre Government at District Hospital SAS Nagar and GMC Amritsar.

Giving details of ‘Cold Chain’ preparations made for vaccine, the Minister said that presently, vaccine has been stored at State Vaccine Store, Sector-24 Chandigarh and it would be made available at Regional, District and Block vaccine stores as per SOPs set by the Centre.

He added that every vaccination session will be managed by a five-member team with defined responsibilities as first Vaccination Officer at the entrance to ensure only eligible vaccinators enter the site, second vaccination officer for verification of beneficiaries on CoWIN, third Vaccinator Officer for giving a vaccine as intramuscular, fourth Vaccination Officer deputes at the observation room to monitor any AEFI (Adverse Event Following Immunisation) and fifth Vaccination Officer would mobilize and assist in crowd control. In addition team Supervisors and AEFI Management centre with Nodal Officer are also deputed for smooth run of a vaccination programme.