State gears up for second vaccination drive

Aim is to vaccinate 2.5 lakh individuals above 45 years daily

The State is launching a mega COVID-19 vaccination drive from April 1, with an aim to vaccinate 2.5 lakh individuals above 45 years daily, for a period of 45 days.

A high-level review meeting called by Chief Secretary V.P. Joy here on Saturday said the State wanted to vaccinate as many individual as possible before the election-related activities, upcoming festival season and reopening of schools.

The Health Department is making large scale arrangements for the smooth conduct of the vaccination drive with more vaccination sites set up in government and private hospitals and public places too.

The department appealed to the people to make use of the first opportunity to receive the vaccine and to visit their nearest vaccination centres. “The State has successfully held out against COVID-19 for a year, ensuring that the virus did not spread wild in society, till the vaccines became a reality. Paradoxically, we are now paying the price for the good containment efforts because unlike in other States, we have a huge population unexposed to the virus. It is imperative that our vaccination really picks up pace at this point before the second wave sweeping across many parts of the State, including neighbouring Tamil Nadu, leads to new outbreaks here,” said R. Aravind, Head of Infectious Diseases, Thiruvananthapuram Government Medical College Hospital.

He pointed out that the upcoming school reopening in June would be a huge challenge before the State because globally, school reopenings have always been followed by a surge in infections in the community.

To prevent that happening, the State would have to go on an aggressive vaccination spree and ensure that all above 45 years are covered; impress upon Centre the unique vulnerability of the State and ensure that the demand-supply position of vaccines was kept robust, Dr. Aravind said.

According to the Union Health Ministry’s latest guidelines, those who have received the first dose of Covishield should take the second dose between 42 and within 56 days. Those who have received Covaxin as the first dose should take the second shot 28 days after the first dose and within 42 days.

Principal Secretary of Health Rajan Khobragade, senior health officials, and representatives of the WHO, UNDP, UNICEF, private hospitals, IMA, Rotary Clubs and Lions Clubs were present at the meeting.

Source: Read Full Article