Transport of COVID-19 vaccine set to begin: Pune to be central hub

New Delhi, Jan 07: The Centre has initiated the process of procuring the vaccine against COVID-19 after regulatory approvals were granted. This would mean that the vaccination drive could start by the end of next week in a phased manner.

Meanwhile transportation of the vaccine is expected to begin today or tomorrow. The government has allowed passenger aircraft to transport the vaccines. Pune will be the central hub from where the vaccine distribution will take place.

The government has identified 41 destinations across the country to be finalised for delivery. For northern India, Delhi and Karnal will be made the mini hubs. For eastern region it would be Kolkata. For southern India, the hubs would be Chennai and Hyderabad, whole for the north-east, Kolkata will be the nodal point.

Reports suggest that the first vaccine shots would be available by January 13.

The government will tap every human resource for the smooth implementation of the world's largest vaccine drive against COVID-19.

The guidelines say that each vaccination site would consist of at least three rooms and require a number of personnel to perform special duties. Vaccination Officer 1 would be the from the police, home guards, civil defence, the NCC, NSS. Their job would be to check the registration status of the recipient and sneer that the entry into the centre is regulated.

The duty of Vaccination Officer 2 would be to verify the identification of documents of the recipients. Officer 3 will be the support staff who will responsible for crowd management and ensure that every recipient spends 30 minutes at the site after receiving the shot to see if there is any adverse reaction.

The vaccine would be administered by doctors, nurses, pharmacists, auxiliary nurse midwifes, lady health visitors.

Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) Dr VG Somani on Sunday announced approved the Oxford coronavirus vaccine and Bharat Biotech's Covaxin, making it India's first vaccines against the coronavirus pandemic.

''Covid-19 vaccines- COVAXIN and COVISHIELD have been cleared for restricted use in emergency situation, DCGI, V G Somani said. "The vaccines will be administered in two dosages and Cadila will have three dosages ," Somani added.

"We'll never approve anything if there is slightest of safety concern. The vaccines are 100% safe. Some side effects like mild fever, pain and allergy are common for every vaccine. It (people may get impotent) is absolute rubbish," Somani said.