Karnataka to receive 13.90 lakh vaccine vials in a couple of days: Health Minister

Bengaluru, Jan 08: Karnataka Health Minister K Sudhakar on Friday said the state is expected to receive 13,90,000 vials of vaccine against COVID-19 in a day or two.

"The big good news for Karnataka is that I have received information from the Union Health Ministry that tomorrow or the day after probably we will be receiving 13,90,000 vials of vaccine for the state. It''s a big happy news for all of us," Sudhakar said.

Speaking to reporters after visiting a private hospital here, where vaccination dry run is being conducted, he said, the vaccination will be first administered to health care workers.

"We have registered 6.30 lakh healthcare professionals in Karnataka till date. Those who are left out, may be in some medical or dental colleges, we have requested them to register," he said adding that health workers will be followed by those with comorbidities, those above 60 years and those in other departments like Police and Revenue working against the pandemic.

COVID-19 vaccination dry run is on at a total of 263 different health facilities across Karnataka on Friday.

It is being held in 24 district hospitals, 20 medical colleges, 43 taluk hospitals, 31 community health centres, 87 primary health centres, 30 urban primary health centres and 28 private facilities in the state.

The Minister who visited some facilities here, where the dry run is going on said, arrangements and preparedness were quite good, and the process is being followed as per the guidelines issued.

The first round of the dry run, an exercise for end- to-end testing of COVID-19 vaccination process was held in in five districts of Karnataka- Bengaluru (including BBMP), Belagavi, Kalburgi, Mysore and Shivamogga- on December 2 as per the government of India guidelines.