Uttar Pradesh is prepared for the first phase of Covid-19 immunisation drive, in which about 23,000 people including frontline workers have been listed for Covid-19 vaccination in the first phase in Gorakhpur, said Chief Medical Officer of Gorakhpur District Hospital Dr Shrikant Tiwari.
Tiwari said that the government has informed that the coronavirus vaccine will be available by January or February and they have been asked to get ready.
The Uttar Pradesh government spokesman said that in the first phase, doctors and paramedical staff of private and government hospitals will be given the vaccination shot and in the second phase, employees of the municipal corporation, armed forces and police will be vaccinated. In the third phase, the vaccine will be administered to people above 50 years.
The systems of maintenance of corona vaccine, deep freezer, cold box and vaccine carrier have been completed by December 15 and the training program of those who will be administering the vaccine has also been completed for the first phase.
Director-General of health, Dr D.S. Negi, said, "The details of all the private and government doctors and paramedical staff have been collected and after administering them the vaccine, the health workers who will be administering the vaccine to the people will be identified."
The state government has also made arrangements for the storage of 1.23 lakh litres of corona vaccine in Uttar Pradesh.
Manoj Shukla, the general manager (vaccination) of the National Health Mission, said, "Cold chain points have been prepared in all the districts and till date, the data of five lakh health workers of the government and private hospitals have been uploaded, and the rooms to keep the corona vaccine are being constructed in 22 districts.”
"Trainers will give training to the health workers who will be administering the vaccine and all information regarding the corona vaccination will also be given to them," said Shukla
On Monday, the health ministry had released detailed guidelines for COVID-19 mass vaccination drive, to vaccinate nearly 30 crore people during the first phase of vaccination.
Major vaccine candidates - Pfizer, Serum Institute of India and Bharat Biotech have applied for authorization of their vaccines and once health regulators approve any of the candidates for emergency use, India will begin with the vaccination drive.