Vaccination countdown begins: Karnataka receives 6.5L doses

Vaccination countdown begins: Karnataka receives 6.5L doses

Sunitha.Rao@timesgroup.com

Bengaluru:13.01.2021

Karnataka, which is waiting for 13.9 lakh doses of the Covid-19 vaccine, received 6.5 lakh doses on Tuesday when the first consignment arrived in Bengaluru. The second consignment, expected to arrive from Pune to Belagavi, is likely to have 50,000 to 1.5 lakh doses.

By January 16, when the vaccination drive kicks off, the state is likely to have 8 lakh doses and they can be administered to 4 lakh healthcare professionals. Two doses need to be administered 28 days apart.

The priority list will now be redrawn. Also, the drive may not begin on January 16 at all 235 vaccination session sites across the state.

“Now that the quantity of vaccines we received has been reduced by half, compared to what was earlier communicated, we have to redraw the plan. There may not be 235 vaccination sites as planned earlier and we’ll have to redraw the quantity to be distributed to districts and the beneficiary list too,” said Dr Arundhati Chandrashekar, mission director, National Health Mission, Karnataka.

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Estimates by government agencies suggest 20% (about 1.2 crore) of Karnataka’s population is expected to be vaccinated against Covid-19, after early phases covering healthcare workers are completed, reports Chethan Kumar. P 4

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‘More people will be vaccinated after May’

M ore people will be vaccinated after May as additional vaccines will be manufactured by then, health minister K Sudhakar said.

While chief minister BS Yediyurappa had said 5 lakh people would be vaccinated under the first two priority categories — healthcare workers and frontline workers together, 6.6 lakh health workers had registered till Monday. Tuesday was the last day for them to register.

Dr Chandrashekar said the consignment received is to be used for both first and second doses given to beneficiaries. With each healthcare worker getting two doses, the current stock is enough for not more than 4 lakh healthcare workers in the first phase. Over 6 lakh health workers have been identified.

Besides, it’s an accepted norm in immunisation drives that 10% of vaccines would be considered as wastage, say authorities. “When 0.5 ml is drawn from a vial to a syringe, it’s measured through eyes and it is possible that we miss out on 10 % of the drug as wastage this way. But that happens with all vaccines and it is an accepted phenomenon. During the transportation too, there could be chances of damage,” said Dr Rajani Nagesh Rao, deputy director, immunisation, health and family welfare department.

The distribution of vaccines to all 30 districts is yet to begin. The beneficiary list, doses to be sent to districts and number of vaccination sites in districts will be decided by the Centre and the authorities are waiting for its decision. Each dose contains 0.5ml and each vial contains 10doses. The first dose is to be administered within 10 days from January 16.

No CCTV surveillance

Though there is police security at the vaccine storage unit inside the health department premises at Ananda Rao Circle, there are no CCTV cameras. “They are likely to be set up in 2-3 days,” authorities said.