The COVID-19 vaccine is likely to arrive in Delhi by early next week and robust preparations are underway to stock it in the required temperature, ensuring effective roll-out of the inoculation exercise.
The Delhi government is creating a massive storage facility at the Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital (RGSSH). The Police have also been alerted about the imminent arrival of the vaccine lot.
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621 cold chain facilities
“We are making robust preparations for the roll-out, and 621 cold chain facilities have been set up. The storage facility at RGSSH can stock about 50,000 vaccines. All arrangements being made there to keep it in a temperature-controlled environment,” a senior official told news agency PTI.
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One vial of the vaccine has about 4.6-5 ml capacity and contains on an average 8-10 doses, another official informed.
“We are expecting that the vaccine will arrive by next week, possibly by Tuesday. But which vaccine will come, we have not been told. Our storage can keep it at 2-8 degrees Celsius, so either of the two approved vaccines can be stored,” a source said.
Covishield, Covaxin approved for India
The ICMR has approved Oxford’s COVID-19 vaccine Covishield, manufactured by the Serum Institute of India, and the indigenously developed Covaxin of Bharat Biotech for restricted emergency use in the country.
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It paves the way for the rollout of at least two vaccines in the country in the coming days.
A total of 1,000 vaccination centres will be set up in Delhi. About 600 centres will be set up in the first phase, for which work is underway in full swing, the officials said.
SMS for those registered for vaccination
Dr Suneela Garg, public health expert and professor of excellence at Maulana Azad Medical College, said the roll-out system will work akin to an electoral exercise.
“Those who have registered themselves will get an SMS a couple of days prior to the day of vaccination, telling about the location of the centre and the date of vaccination,” she said.
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At every vaccination centre, there will be multiple booths, each to take a maximum of 100 people, said Garg, who is guiding the city government on the exercise.
“Inside, every booth, one officer will check details and match them with those shown on the CoWIN app for people, following which the necessary documents will be checked and then they will be taken one by one for vaccination,” she said.
There will be a nodal officer at each vaccination centre, officials said.
Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Saturday had said the city government has so far made preparations to vaccinate one lakh people in a day.