COVID vaccination drive gets underway in Delhi on day two

After administering shots to over 4,300 healthcare workers on the opening day, Covid-19 vaccination teams across the national capital started to give vaccines to more medical staff at various hospitals on Monday.

Officials said that the vaccination drive started at the Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital at 10 am.

The immunisation drive in Delhi was formally kicked off on Saturday by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal from the LNJP Hospital, the state-run facility which offered yeoman service during the pandemic last year.

The exercise was carried out at 81 sites,with nearly an even split of government and private hospitals, including six central government facilities — AIIMS, Safdarjung Hospital, RML Hospital, Kalawati Saran Children Hospital and two ESI hospitals.

The rest 75 centres, spanning all 11 districts of Delhi, include Delhi government-run facilities, such as LNJP Hospital, GTB Hospital, Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital, DDU Hospital, BSA Hospital, Delhi State Cancer Institute, ILBS Hospital; and private facilities, such as Max Hospital, Fortis Hospital, Apollo Hospital and Sir Ganga Ram Hospital.

In Delhi, a total of 4,319 healthcare workers — 53.3 per cent of those registered — got the vaccine shots on the first day of the COVID-19 vaccination drive, Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain said on Sunday.

Some people did not turn up for Coronavirus vaccination at the last moment, he said, adding that the government cannot ask anyone to compulsorily take the jab. He also said that the number of vaccination centres in Delhi will be increased from 81 to 175 soon. Jain noted that a similar trend was observed across the country, with around 50 per cent of those registered getting the jabs on the first day.

The vaccine will be administered on four scheduled days of the week — Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. It will not be given on Sunday, and two others days of the week, when other regular vaccination work will be carried out. So, January 18 is the first working day of the week, since the mega exercise was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi across the country.

Oxford COVID-19 vaccine Covishield is being administered at 75 centres, while Bharat Biotech-made Covaxin doses given at the remaining six facilities.

The city government has received in total 2.74 lakh doses of the vaccine so far from the Centre, which would be sufficient to cater to 1.2 lakh healthcare workers, Kejriwal had earlier said. “Every person will receive two doses, and the Centre has given 10 per cent extra in stock, in case of any mishappening, like damage of vials. There are a total of 2.4 lakh healthcare workers in Delhi who have registered for vaccination, and more doses are expected to arrive soon,” he said.

One “severe” and 51 “minor” cases of AEFI (adverse events following immunisation) were reported among health workers who were administered the coronavirus vaccine in Delhi on Saturday, according to official figures. An AIIMS security guard had developed an allergic reaction after receiving the vaccine. He was kept under observation of doctors, an official had said on Saturday. “His current status is not known… 51 others were discharged after some time,” Jain said.

(Cover – Credit: Getty Images)