Shillong, Jan 12: Meghalaya on Tuesday received 35000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines from the Serum Institute of India (SII) for the scheduled vaccination drive on January 16, State Heath and Family Welfare Minister, Alexander Laloo Hek informed.
“35000 doses of COVID-19 from Serum Institute of India are expected to be delivered this evening for Meghalaya,” Hek told UNI.
He said in the first phase 16000 health care workers from East Khasi Hills district and West Garo Hills district would be vaccinated on January 16.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Conrad Sangma Tweeted ahead of the important vaccination drive and said arrangements are on for January 16.
“In today's meeting with DCs and Health Department discussed the COVID vaccine preparatory arrangements in Meghalaya for phase I of the vaccination drive that would commence nationwide from January 16," Sangma tweeted.
Covaxin has been developed by Indian firm Bharat Biotech. Covishield on the other hand is Serum Institute of India’s version of the vaccine developed by Oxford University and marketed by AstraZeneca.
After the approval of the vaccines, the Central Government laid the groundwork by asking the States to conduct a dry run for the proposed vaccination process.
Meghalaya too conducted a successful dry run in 33 health care centres across all the 11 districts of the State on January 2 to prepare the State for the upcoming vaccination.
Private and Missionary run health care facilities were also included in the dry run apart from government healthcare facilities.
More than 600 healthcare workers participated in the dry run across Meghalaya. Representatives from the World Health Organisation, John Hopkins Program for International Education and United Nations Development Program were involved in monitoring the exercise.
Under the dry run, three steps were undertaken. First the details of the volunteers or the health care workers were registered. Then they were administered the vaccine under the mock drill.
A doctor was kept in attendance at the Health Care Centres to check if there is any adverse reaction to the vaccine. The volunteers were kept for 30 minutes under supervision after they were administered the mock vaccine. (UNI)
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